Little Wonders
by Sonata Rapp
Summary: Sometimes it's the little moments that can turn a tentative romance into a love for the ages. A series of connected oneshots focusing on the bond forged between an introverted gardener and a hard man with a scarred past. AU
1. A Chance Occurrence

Little Wonders

Chapter 1: A Chance Occurrence

Kurama Minamino was many things. He was a gardener, an avid bookworm, a musician, and somewhat of a historian. He was not, however, closeted, as he told his friend Yusuke Urameshi over lunch one day.

"All I'm saying is that I can count on one hand how many dates you've been on and have fingers to spare." Yusuke argued. "Kuwabara and I can't tell whether we should be concerned or not."

Kurama ran a hand through his bright red hair and sighed. "While I appreciate your concern, Yusuke, it is not needed. I am fine."

"But all you do is putter around in that flower shop of yours all day." the other man protested. "You're missing human interaction in your life."

"And what do you call this?" the redhead asked, motioning to the two of them.

"You know what I mean." Yusuke replied with a pout.

"Yes, you mean female interaction." Kurama said. "There really is no interest."

The waitress chose that moment to bring them their check. She was polite to Yusuke, but blushed when Kurama handed her the money for his meal. She walked away, adding a little more sway to her hips than was necessary.

"See! That right there! That was interest, my friend. It happens everywhere we go."

Kurama just shook his head and waited for his change. He wasn't closeted. Not really. He knew very well that when he said there was no interest, he meant it the other way around.

* * *

The next day found Kurama opening his flower shop with a cheery smile. He was a morning person, and there was nothing better than coming down to his little store and greeting all of his charges. He hung his jacket up in the back and donned the apron that matched his emerald eyes perfectly. With a practiced hand, the redhead went around with his watering can, giving the plants their first drink of the day.

The bell over the door chimed announcing the arrival of the shop's only other employee. Kuronue was Kurama's old college roommate, and when he had shown up in town looking for a job, Kurama had welcomed the help.

"Morning, Red." The tall raven haired young man greeted his boss.

Kurama hummed a greeting in reply and continued to make his rounds with the watering can.

Kuronue went about making sure the store was ready to be opened. When Kurama joined him behind the counter, he raised an eyebrow. "Anything exciting planned for the weekend?" he asked, knowing the answer.

Kurama sighed and began arranging the bouquet they kept on the counter. "Actually, I am going to a party." he said.

"Whoa." Kuronue responded. "I don't think you've been to a party since college."

Kurama shrugged. "A friend of mine is getting married, so I will be attending his engagement party."

"Nice. I'd complain about not being invited, but I'm going up to Yomi's this weekend."

The bell over the door chimed again, and there was no more time for conversation.

An uneventful five hours passed, and the two workers prepared to close. Kuronue was in the back, so when the final customer of the day entered, Kurama was the one to help him. "Welcome to the Wandering Rose." he said.

A grunt was the only reply he got, so Kurama glanced up from the register. The customer was a young man who was at least a head shorter than him. He was dressed in all black which matched the shock of hair on top of his head. He raised reddish brown eyes to Kurama's green ones. "I need flowers." the customer said simply.

Kurama smiled kindly. "Then you are in the right place. What is the occasion, if I may ask? Something for a date?"

"Keh. Hardly." The shorter man replied. "My sister's getting married." he mumbled.

"Ah, then a bouquet for the bride?" Kurama asked.

"No. The wedding's a while off…I want…I don't like the moron she's marrying, but I want…"

Green eyes lit up in understanding. "You want something to show her that even though you don't necessarily approve of her choice, you accept it."

A nod was his reward. "Just a moment." Kurama disappeared for a minute, then returned holding a pot of blue violets. He presented them to the customer with a smile. "These are violets. In the language of flowers, they mean watchfulness."

The short man blinked. "Like, I accept her choice but will always be watching?" he asked.

"Precisely." Kurama answered. "And these will last longer than a bouquet."

"Thanks." the man paid for the flowers and left, allowing Kuronue and Kurama to close up.

* * *

Yusuke parked his car in front of a nice sized house. He opened the door for his long time girlfriend and waited for Kurama to get out. The three of them walked up to the front door and knocked.

It was flung open by a tall man with orange hair. "Urameshi! Keiko! Kurama! It's about time you got here." he boomed.

"Sorry, Kuwabara." Keiko said. "_Someone _refused to use the GPS, and we got turned around."

"Whatever, we're here now, aren't we?" Yusuke grumbled. He pulled Kuwabara into a hug. "Congratulations, man! Who woulda thought your ugly ass would be getting hitched!"

"Laugh it up, Urameshi." Kuwabara replied. "You'll be next."

Kurama offered his congratulations as well, and then moved into the living room. He spotted his friend's fiancée and offered her a hug. Other than the hosts, Yusuke, and Keiko, he didn't know anyone at this party. He was just beginning to wish he had made up some excuse as to why he couldn't attend, when a familiar shock of hair caught his attention.

Kuwabara's future wife Yukina came over towing the short man from the flower shop behind her. "Kurama, I don't think you've met my brother yet. Hiei this is one of Kazuma's friends, Kurama. Kurama, my brother Hiei."

The two men eyed each other as Yukina drifted off to greet more people. "Did she like them?" Kurama asked suddenly. "The flowers?"

"Hn." Hiei answered. "She cried."

Kurama nodded. "So you don't like Kuwabara."

"He's a buffoon, and she can do better."

The redhead followed Hiei's gaze to where Kuwabara was telling a loud story to some of Yukina's friends from work. "He loves her." Kurama offered. "Much more than he loves himself." Hiei snorted. "This must be your home." Kurama continued. "Yukina and Kuwabara's apartment would not have fit so many people."

The dark haired male looked away. "She wanted the party." he mumbled.

"And even though you find her fiancé…lacking, you allowed her to have the party here. You are a good brother."

Hiei grunted and picked up a drink from the table, downing it in one gulp. He looked up at Kurama and made a decision. "I'm getting out of here." he said. "I've done my part, and I hate things like this."

Kurama looked around the crowded room with distaste. "I am not fond of them either." he replied. When he looked back, Hiei was gone.

A quick search found him halfway up the stairs with an expectant look on his face. "Well, are you coming?" he demanded.


	2. A Chance Occurrence Pt 2

Chapter 2: A Chance Occurrence Part 2

Hiei woke up the next morning with a full awareness of what had happened the night before. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was afraid to open his eyes.

He had taken a leap. True it was fueled by a three or four glasses of the punch that his sister's moronic future husband had made, but it was a leap nonetheless. He had spoken to the pretty redhead, then he had kissed the pretty redhead, and then… Well, for someone so delicate, and apparently inexperienced, the pretty redhead knew what he was doing. And he hoped against hope, that he hadn't made a mistake.

Nearly red eyes opened slowly. The splash of red hair that he had fallen asleep to was no where to be found. In it's place, however, was a folded piece of paper with his name on it. Refusing to let any hope spring up, Hiei grabbed the note and opened it.

_Hiei, _it began in neat writing that could only belong to Kurama.

_Hmm…I am not exactly sure what to say in this, since I have never been in such a situation. Is 'thank you' appropriate? The point, I suppose, is that I left with a very drunk Yusuke and a mildly irate Keiko in the early hours of the morning only because I had to open my store. That's where you can find me, if you are so inclined._

_-Kurama_

A rare smile found it's way onto Hiei's face, and with the grace years of training with a sword will give a man, he vaulted out of bed. The diminutive man had given his sister free reign of his spare bedroom for the night, and while he fully expected Kuwabara to still be sleeping, he knew that Yukina would be awake.

Sure enough, Hiei found her in his kitchen washing the serving trays and glasses that had been used the night before. "I would have taken care of that." he said by way of greeting.

Yukina smiled at him. "You already let us use your house to have a party that you didn't even want to attend, Hiei. Let me do this."

The man nodded and crossed to the refrigerator. "Did you enjoy yourself?" he asked softly.

"Oh very much." Yukina replied. "Thank you for sticking around as long as you did. Were you just upstairs?" Hiei nodded and his sister continued. "I hope we didn't keep you up. I noticed that Kurama disappeared pretty early too. I'm glad he came, even if he doesn't really like parties."

"Plus someone needed to be here to help Keiko get Yusuke home."

The young woman gave her brother a sharp look. "How did you know about that? You were gone by then."

"Any friend of Kuwabara is predictable." Hiei said to cover his mistake.

"I suppose so. Though I really wish you would give him more credit." Yukina said finally.

Hiei snorted. He grabbed an orange and headed for the door. "I'm going out. Use whatever you need, just don't let the oaf break anything."

* * *

Kurama had not been entirely honest with Hiei in his note. The Wandering Rose was not often open on Sundays. Usually just during the holidays and whenever Kurama found himself in need of a distraction. This was one of the latter times.

The gardener kept playing the events of the night before over in his head and wondering what alien force had possessed his body and gave him the courage to go that far, that fast, with someone he barely knew.

He didn't regret it.

That was what shocked him the most. Yes, the smaller man was cute, there was something about the way those brownish red eyes held his that made Kurama's stomach knot. But that was neither here nor there. Kurama Minamino did not hook up. He did not have one night stands. Not even in college when that's all everyone else seemed to be doing.

But he didn't regret this.

It was so rare that the redhead was attracted to anyone, (the last person being Yusuke, which led to some awkward exchanges) that he knew he had to see Hiei again. So he had left the note. Hopefully the Hiei didn't regret it either.

Instead of sitting in his office in the back dwelling on it, Kurama decided to go tend to his flowers. The lilies hadn't been watered in a few days, so he began with them. The callas were in full bloom and looking for attention.

"Good morning." he said to them. "You look well rested. Certainly more rested than I am. I spent the night acting incredibly out of character, and then helping a very drunk Yusuke home. The latter I suppose is not that surprising." The bell over the door chimed, and Kurama's breath caught. He put the watering can down and made his way to the front of the store.

Standing there in all black again was Hiei. Kurama swallowed. "Hi." he said, nervously playing with a lock of his hair.

"Hey."

Kurama bit his lip. "So I see you got my note."

Hiei nodded. "Thanks." he said. "For not just leaving."

"I wasn't sure of the protocol of these things, but I assumed leaving without saying anything was bad manners. At least if you want to see the person again."

The raven haired man looked at the floor. "You want to see me again?"

"I do. Though perhaps not so much of you for a while. What happened last night was out of character for me. I am usually much more old fashioned."

Hiei snorted. "I figured."

Kurama blushed. "I would, however, like to work up to it with you."

Hiei met the other man's eyes and let a small smile show. "Okay." he said.

"Maybe we can have a double date with Kuwabara and Yukina." Kurama replied in an offhand manner.

"Do not push it."

* * *

A/N: And Hiei gets the last word again. One day I'll have to do something about that. I was going to wait until I got 5 reviews to post this, or at least until a day or so had gone by, but I am just too excited about this story to wait. I've been wanting to write a Hiei/Kurama story for years, but I could never get into their heads enough to write anything. Hopefully this story will reflect my new understanding of the couple. Please let me know what you think of this. I really want it to be good.


	3. First Date

Chapter 3: First Date

Some time had passed since the events of Yukina and Kuwabara's engagement party. It was apparently the time of year when husbands and boyfriends had much to be sorry for, and needed flowers to prove it, because Kurama saw a steady stream of business. What he did not see, however, was Hiei.

He didn't know if the smaller man was avoiding him, or just very busy, and since he didn't have his phone number, or the time to drive out to his house, he had no way of finding out.

And so three weeks went by.

On the Friday of the third week, Kurama was closing up his store when his cell phone trilled in his pocket. The caller id showed Kuwabara's name.

"Hello?" the redhead answered.

"_Hey, Kurama. It's me, Kuwabara." _

"Yes, I know. What can I do for you?"

"_Well...are you busy tonight?" _

Kurama raised an eyebrow as he walked in the direction of his apartment. "Not terribly." he replied. "Why?"

"_Um…see…I wanna take Yukina to this restaurant, but her brother's sick and she won't leave him home alone."_

That caught the gardener's attention. "Oh? I was under the impression that Yukina's brother already lived alone."

"_He does. But you know how she worries." _

"I do indeed. What is it that you would like me to do, Kuwabara?" Kurama asked, though he was sure he already knew and already agreed.

"_If you're not doing anything else, d'you think you could go over and sit with the shrimp so Yukina and I can go out? I'd ask Yusuke, but I don't think that would put Yukina's mind at ease, y'know?"_

Kurama chuckled. "Fair enough. I would be glad to go sit with Hiei." he said.

"_Thanks a lot, Kurama. I owe you one." _

A smile grew on the redhead's face. "It really is my pleasure."

* * *

Three hours later saw Kurama pulling his small Toyota into the driveway of Hiei's house. He wondered if Yukina or Kuwabara had told the raven haired man of the change in plan. He checked his reflection in the rearview mirror, running a hand through his already immaculate hair.

Before he could make himself anymore nervous, he got out of the car, locked it, and went to knock on the door.

A moment later it was opened by an astonished looking Hiei. His red eyes were wide, then they narrowed. "What do you want?" he snapped.

Kurama was taken aback by his tone. "Many things. Among them, to see you."

Hiei snorted. "Right."

"Hiei, why are you upset with me?" the redhead wanted to know.

"Maybe because you gave me all that crap about wanting to date me and then I don't hear from you for three weeks."

Kurama lowered his green eyes. "Things at the store have been too busy for me to come out here." he said with a small smile. He knew where this was going.

"And you can't call?" the smaller man demanded.

"Hiei, you never gave me your phone number. I could have gotten it from Yukina I suppose, but I assumed that you hadn't told her about us."

Hiei's face colored. "Oh. So you weren't blowing me off?"

Kurama shook his head. "Never."

"Oh." Hiei said again. "Good. Come in."

"Thank you." the redheaded gardener followed him into the house. "While I am glad I'm getting a chance to see you, in the interest of full disclosure, Yukina and Kuwabara asked me to come here tonight. They seem to be under the impression that you are sick."

"Because that's what I told them."

Kurama chuckled. "Really? I didn't think you would lie to your sister."

"I lied to the oaf." Hiei corrected. "He passed the lie to Yukina, which benefited me in two ways."

"And they are?" Kurama asked as he sat on the couch.

The smaller man hovered nearby. "I didn't have to go out with them, for one…and…it got you over here."

His reward was a brilliant smile from the redhead.

* * *

A/N: Does that count as Hiei getting the last word? Probably. Damnit. Oh well, so far it seems like a couple people like this story which is enough to keep me writing. It would be nice to hear what more of you though of this, though. Anyway, if there are any particular moments you want to see, then let me know. I'd be glad to try to fit them in. One more thing. Someone commented about the fact that I skipped the lemon between Hiei and Kurama in the last chapter. I did that because I have never written one between the two of them, or any two males for that matter, and I really want to work up to it. Basically the action will gradually intensify between the two of them until it happens.


	4. Outing

Chapter 4: Outing

Hiei was tired. No matter what people said about his skill with a blade, it took a lot of energy and patience to be able to lead sixteen twelve year olds through the exercises needed to master the katana. More than anyone knew he had.

The dark haired man was changing from his practice clothes in the employee locker room when the door banged open admitting a tall thin woman with strawberry blond hair. Hiei ignored her as she walked over to where he was pulling a shirt over his head. She leaned against the row of lockers and let a smile curve over her face.

"You work very well with the younger students." she said. "It's surprising."

Hiei shut his locker and leveled a glare at his boss. Her name was Mukuro. She had built up the training dojo where he worked when she was just eighteen years old. The woman had been through a lot of trauma in her life, and as a result the right half of her face was scarred heavily and her right limbs were prosthetics. That didn't stop her from being one of the best fighters that Hiei had ever seen. There was no interview process for working at the Three Kings Dojo. If you wanted to work there as an instructor all you had to do was fight Mukuro. You didn't have to win, (and most likely you wouldn't) but you had to show the boss that you had something different.

Mukuro had definitely won their battle, and while Hiei respected the woman, she often annoyed the hell out of him. But it was Wednesday, and that meant it was time for Mukuro's hump day routine.

"So, it's been a productive week so far, hasn't it?" Mukuro began. Hiei just nodded. "We should do something to celebrate some weekend, you know? Maybe just us?"

And there it was.

"Mukuro you do this every other week." Hiei snapped. "And what do I say every time?"

The woman laughed. "You say no."

"Right." Hiei grabbed his bag and made to leave the locker room. He could feel a headache blooming behind his eyes. "I'm seeing someone anyway." he murmured.

Mukuro rolled her eyes. "I'll accept your refusal, Hiei. I always do. You don't have to lie." She pushed past him and out of the room.

A growl worked it's way out of Hiei's mouth. He checked the time on his cell phone and hurried out to his motorcycle.

* * *

Kuronue handed an older woman the bouquet she had commissioned and leaned over to answer the ringing phone. "Wandering Rose Flower Shop." he said. "This is Kuronue, how may I help you?" He listened for a moment and then nodded. "Yep, he's in the back. Hold on." Covering the mouthpiece with one hand, Kuronue turned to the back of the shop. "Hey, Red! Phone!"

Kurama gave the roses he was pruning one last pat and made his way to the front of the store. "Thank you." he said as he accepted the phone. "This is Kurama."

"_It's me." _

The redhead grinned as he recognized Hiei's voice. "Well hello. This is an unexpected pleasure."

"_Hnn. You busy tonight?" _

"I had plans to have dinner with my mother, but she has to attend a function with my step-father." Kurama chuckled. "So no, I am not busy."

"_I was thinking that we could go out. You know, if you wanted to." _

Kurama was taken aback. He had assumed that he would have to be the one to initiate them going out since Hiei was so content to stay in when they were together. "That sounds lovely."

"_Good. Uh. I'll be by around 7." _

"I look forward to it. Oh, and Hiei, we'll be taking my car. I am not riding on that death trap you call a vehicle."

"_Fine. But I'm driving." _

"Alright. I'll see you at seven." Kurama replaced the phone in it's cradle with a smile. He looked up to see Kuronue looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Who was that?" his coworker asked in a sing song manner.

"A friend." Kurama replied.

"A _boy_friend?" The redhead's green eyes widened and Kuronue snickered. "Kurama, I've been your friend for years now. Surely you know that I know that you like guys."

A light blush stained Kurama's cheeks. "I never thought about it, really."

Kuronue nodded. "Well, I know. So tell me, is this Hiei your boyfriend. Is he cute?"

"He's very cute." Kurama answered. "I suppose you could say he's my boyfriend." He checked the clock on the wall. "Why don't we close up early today? It's been pretty slow."

"Mhmm." Kuronue replied. "Sounds good. Can't have you being late for you _daaaaate." _

Kurama just shook his head.

* * *

At 6:49 p.m. Hiei knocked on the door to Kurama's apartment. He had been there three times in the few weeks that the two of them had been together.

On the other side of the door, Kurama took a deep breath. He opened the door with a smile. "Hi."

Hiei reached up and tugged the redhead down to him for a kiss. "Hi." he said back once they had parted. "You ready?"

Kurama nodded. He stepped out of his apartment and locked the door behind him. With a mischievous grin, he captured Hiei's hand with his own. "So where are we going?" he asked as they walked down to where his car was parked.

"Not telling." Hiei replied smugly. He looked down at the smooth hand that was wrapped around his own calloused one and felt a warm tingle in his chest. "How was work today?"

The gardener was surprised by the effort at small talk. "Uneventful. Well, my boyfriend called and my coworker told me that he knew I was gay all along. Other than that, slow day."

"This boyfriend…" Hiei said. "You like him?"

"Very much."

And that made the tingle turn into full-blown warmth.

* * *

A short car ride later, Hiei and Kurama were being seated at one of the many Italian restaurants in their city. It was pretty fancy, so Kurama was glad that he had decided to dress up. "This is wonderful, Hiei." he said, eyes sparkling.

Hiei colored and motioned for the waiter.

They ordered their drinks, then turned their attention to the menus. Kurama decided on the chicken parmagiana and glanced over his menu at his companion. Hiei's brow was furrowed as he scanned the list of foods. Kurama let out a little giggle.

"What?" Hiei asked without lifting his eyes.

"Nothing. I'm just happy to be here with you."

The smaller man made his decision and closed the menu. "I'm glad." he said. "So…you call me your boyfriend?"

Kurama gave him a puzzled look. "Is that not what you are?"

Hiei shrugged. "I am, I guess. We just never discussed it."

"Fair enough. Hiei, it would make me very happy if we were together officially. Will you be my boyfriend?"

Red eyes darted away to stare at the wall. "I…uh…yes. I will."

Kurama reached across the table and took Hiei's chin in his cool fingers, making him meet his eyes. "Thank you." he said and touched the shorter man's lips with his own.

They were interrupted by the waiter coming back with their drinks. "Are you two ready to order?" he wanted to know.

Hiei looked at Kurama who nodded. "I'll have the mushroom ravioli." the raven haired man said.

"And I would like the chicken parmagiana."

"Excellent choices. They'll be out shortly." The waiter took their menus and walked off.

"Do you come here often?" Kurama asked once they were alone again.

Hiei shook his head. "Not anymore. Yukina used to work here when she was in college." he explained. "I would come to pick her up at the end of her shift, and she would bring me food sometimes."

"You and Yukina certainly seem very close." Kurama remarked.

A shrug was his answer. "We're twins."

That was news to Kurama for the siblings looked nothing alike. "When I was younger, I always wanted a twin." Kurama said suddenly. "But I wanted him to be more adventurous than I was. That way I could give into my urges to do things and people would think it was him and not perfect Kurama."

Hiei could detect a small amount of bitterness in his boyfriend's voice. "There's no such thing as perfect." he commented.

Kurama had to laugh at that. "I suppose you are right. People seemed to think I was pretty close back in high school and college though." He shook his head. "I feel like I talk too much when I'm with you."

"You don't." Hiei assured him.

The earned him another grin. "Still, you talk now. Tell me about you."

Hiei shrugged again. "Like what?"

"Well, how long have you lived here?"

The waiter returned with their food just then. "Enjoy, gentlemen." he said.

Once he was gone, Hiei answered. "A few years. I did a lot of traveling when I graduated from high school."

Kurama nodded. He tried a bite of his chicken and sighed happily. "No college then?"

"Couldn't afford it." Hiei said, hoping that that wouldn't make Kurama think less of him.

"Neither could I, really." the redhead was saying. "Scholarships are handy things. But please, continue."

"I ended up here the year Yukina went into college." the swordsman paused to eat some of his food. "I've been here since."

"How did you finance your travels?" Kurama wanted to know.

"With my sword." Hiei answered. "I trained with the katana from a young age. I entered competitions."

"Someday you will have to tell me stories about your travels."

Hiei's eyes hardened, and he applied himself to his food instead of answering.

The action was not overlooked by Kurama who took notice and filed the information away for later. He put a sunny smile on. "Would you like to try some of my chicken?"

* * *

A/N: Another chapter down! I'm going to try to figure out a schedule for updates so I don't end up just posting short chapters everyday. For now, it'll probably be Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with request chapters on Sundays. For instance, this chapter is dedicated to Bon Clay Bon who requested to see the couple go on a real date in a public setting. I hope that was real enough for you, Bon. Soon we will be getting more of Hiei's story and seeing what Yusuke and everyone else think about the new couple. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! And please don't hesitate to tell me if there's something you want to see. I'll definitely write it and post it on a Sunday.


	5. The Outing

Chapter 5: The "Outing"

Kurama yawned and stretched. He opened emerald eyes and found himself face to face with a shock of raven hair. He smiled as he remembered the events of the night before. They hadn't had sex, or even kissed that much. Instead they watched a movie, wrapped up in a blanket together, just enjoying each other's company.

Now it was Sunday morning, and Kurama had no plans to move for the next couple of hours at least. A happy sigh slipped from his lips, startling Hiei awake. Due to some unpleasant circumstances in his life, he was now a very light sleeper.

His lips turned up as he realized that he was not in bed alone. A couple of years ago that would have scared him senseless, but he knew that the person snuggled against his back would never hurt him. Or…he hoped so.

Hiei turned over and met the eyes of his boyfriend. "Hey." he murmured.

"Good morning." Kurama replied.

"You're still here."

The redhead had learned to take the matter of fact, slightly accusatory statements that Hiei made with a grain of salt. That was just how he was. Kurama just hummed in agreement and leaned forward for a kiss.

Their lips met just as a crash and a cry of "Oh, Kazuma!" rang out from downstairs.

Hiei swore violently. He was less concerned about whatever it was the buffoon had broken than he was about his sister finding him and Kurama in bed together. It wasn't like he could just hide the redhead in the closet and wait for them to leave. This wasn't high school.

Kurama could see the dilemma playing out in Hiei's eyes. "Would it be so bad if they knew?" he asked softly.

Hiei buried his face in the pillow and groaned. "No." he said. "It's…Yukina doesn't know I'm gay."

"Same question." Kurama returned. "Paired with one more. Why haven't you told her before now?"

The smaller man flopped onto his back. "I never thought I would have to."

The gardener could hear that his boyfriend had left his voice carefully blank, so he did him the honor of not prying. They weren't at that point yet. "Well, look at it this way. If we are going to continue to see each other, then Yukina should probably find out." Kurama said. "Granted this is not the ideal way to spring it on her, but it'll probably render Kuwabara speechless."

Hiei had to chuckle at that image. "So what, we just let them burst in here?"

"Or." Kurama began, dropping his voice to a whisper. "We could go down there. Maybe not wearing shirts…"

"I'll wear a shirt thanks." Hiei replied with a blush. "You do what you want."

Kurama climbed out of the bed and stretched, showing off his bare upper body and lean muscles. "Suit yourself." He watched as the shorter man donned a t-shirt that showed off how well built he was. In the back of his mind he calculated that it had been almost a month and a half since they had started dating. Perhaps it was time to take things a little further. But that was a thought for later.

Hiei stood next to the door with his fist clenched. He could feel Kurama's eyes on him, and it was making him shiver agreeably. "We doing this or what?" he asked, breaking the mood.

Kurama shook himself. "Yes." he said firmly. He took the man's hand and together they descended the stairs.

* * *

Yukina stared with dismay at the pile of broken glass that had been one of her brother's serving plates.

"Don't worry about it, Yukina." Kuwabara was saying. "It's not like pintsize ever has guests over or nothing. Why does he need a serving platter?"

"I'm not sure that's the point, Kazuma." the pale woman replied.

Her fiancé shrugged. "We can just get him a new one."

"Don't bother." Hiei's cold voice snapped. Both of his visitors' heads shot up and both of their mouths dropped open at the sight of the small swordsman hand in hand with Kurama. A _shirtless_ Kurama.

Hiei was…holding hands…with…It just did not compute.

"What the HELL?" Kuwabara shouted.

"Watch your mouth." Hiei spat in his direction, though his eyes never left his sister. He didn't know it, but a sort of pleading filled the reddish orbs, begging for her to understand and accept.

Yukina just stared, uncomprehending. Kurama could feel Hiei's tension in the way he was squeezing his hand, so he decided to intervene. "Good morning, Yukina." he said pleasantly.

That startled the young woman from her shock. "Kurama?" she whispered. "You and…" she turned her eyes to her brother.

The redhead nodded slowly. "That's right."

"WHAT THE HELL?" Kuwabara demanded again.

"Hush, Kazuma." Yukina said before Hiei could snap at him. "Oh, this is wonderful!" Her eyes watered, and she a bright smile bloomed on her face. "Isn't this wonderful, Kazuma?"

The tall man was peering at his friend and his fiancée's twin. "Is this some kinda joke? Ha-ha good one guys."

"It's not a joke, you idiot." Hiei answered.

"But you can't be with Kurama. He might be a pretty boy, but he ain't gay. If he was, he would have told me and Urameshi."

"What's wrong with him being gay?" Yukina wanted to know.

"Nothin'" Kuwabara said quickly. "But he woulda told someone. Right?"

"Kuwabara, I…" Kurama faltered. "Yes, I should have told you. I suppose I thought you would figure it out eventually. Yusuke already has his suspicions after all."

"And you're going out with shorty here? Couldn't you have snagged someone, I don't know, nicer?"

Kurama chuckled. "I like Hiei just fine the way he is."

"Whatever makes you happy, I guess." Kuwabara said finally.

"And you _are_ happy, right?" Yukina chimed in, spearing her brother with a searching look.

Hiei nodded.

"Then that's all that matters." Yukina gave them all a sunny smile. "This calls for a celebration." she said. "You two sit down and I'll make you breakfast."

"You don't-" Hiei began.

"I'm going to." his sister said firmly. "Kazuma will clean up the glass, and then we'll have a nice breakfast. Kurama make him sit down."

The redhead obeyed and led Hiei over to the table. "That went well." he remarked. "And it was good practice."

"For what?" the smaller man demanded.

"All the other times we're going to have to do this." Kurama replied. "Now that I know you're happy with me, I fully intend to show you off."

* * *

A/N: Ha! Kurama got the last word finally. Alrighty, there's your Monday update. Expect another one on Wednesday, and then one on Friday. There'll be one on Sunday too if someone requests something in particular. I am having so much fun with this story seriously. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and a special shout out to **adalleria **who has reviewed every chapter so far. Thanks so much!


	6. Hiei I

IMPORTANT NOTE: Hey, guys, your humble authoress here. This is just a warning that there will be mentions of abuse and rape in this chapter. If that makes you too uncomfortable, then you really don't have to read this chapter. Hiei will eventually tell Kurama the condensed version of the events that will happen here, but it won't be for a while. Reading it now will help your understanding of some of Hiei's mannerisms later on. But yeah, you've been warned. Oh, and if it's not clear, all of this happened in the past.

Chapter 6: Hiei I

The short man known to all around him as simply _Sombra_ was irritated. He was sick of being talked about by people

who didn't know he spoke Spanish, he was tired of the constant cacophony that was the square in Madrid, and most of all, he was tired of _him. _

Hiei narrowed his red eyes at the tall lithe man who was across the way chatting up a flower seller. It was getting more than a little ridiculous the way he just kept showing up in all of the places that Hiei was. Venice, Prague, there he was, looking like some tall god of death with his unnervingly pale skin, violet colored eyes, and long ebony hair.

If he were being honest with himself, Hiei would admit that at first, he'd found the man attractive. He was quiet, which the shorter man couldn't fault. But then…

As if his thoughts had suddenly made the ghostly figure remember that he existed, the tall man turned the full force of his gaze on Hiei who wished that he was the shadow that the people called him.

"Hiei." the pale man said as he walked over. "Do not worry, I would never neglect you."

"I'd never be so lucky." Hiei muttered under his breath. Aloud he sighed. "Luring the flower girls into your web, Karasu?"

The so named tipped back his head and laughed, and even then, after all he had put Hiei through, the smaller man couldn't help the shiver than ran down his spine at the sound. "I would never." Karasu replied. "Not when I have my pretty little _sombra _to play with."

"I'm not your anything." Hiei snapped. He pushed himself off of the wall he had been leaning against and walked off. He didn't care that he was going to pay for it later; he had to get away from this man and quick, if only so he could remind himself that he hated him.

Karasu watched his plaything walk away and a sinister smile spread over his face. Oh the fun they would have that night.

* * *

Hiei wandered aimlessly along the river Manzanares. No one spoke to him, for which he was grateful. He would have been too distracted to respond anyway, so lost in thought was he.

Karasu had first made his appearance in the shorter man's life a year previous. Hiei had been in Finland for a few months, and he was headed south to Romania. He was relaxing in the only empty car on the train when the door banged open, admitting the tall male. He'd swept the curtain of silky black hair out of his face and looked around the car. When he spotted Hiei, he blushed.

"I'm terribly sorry to have disturbed you." Karasu said. "All the other cars were full and…" he trailed off when he realized Hiei could care less. "I'm Karasu." he finished.

Hiei glanced up and realized that there was no way he could ignore this man. He was not a prisoner to his hormones, but three years was still three years and a long time to go without knowing another's touch. It didn't seem right that someone could be so willow and muscular at the same time, or that eyes could be that color. "Hiei." he grunted, though a light blush colored his cheeks.

In that moment, Karasu knew all he needed to know to manipulate him. "A pleasure." He caught Hiei's hand in his own and brought it to his lips to kiss.

Hiei gasped as tingles erupted along his arm from where Karasu's lips were. Before he really knew what was happening, the smaller man was pinned to his seat with Karasu on top of him, their tongues battling for dominance.

All of his instincts were screaming that this was wrong, that if he wanted to be safe, he had to keep to himself. Wasn't that what he had learned in the foster home all those years ago, when his parents hadn't wanted him? It was, Hiei knew, but the things that Karasu's hands were doing beneath the waistband of his pants were distracting.

But true to his cruelty, Karasu didn't take him there. No, he got quietly off the train at the next station, and Hiei was in Italy four months later before he saw him again.

That time was worse. His body had remembered all the things Karasu had done to it with just his hands and when he saw him, seemingly by chance, in Venice, it looked a bit like fate. Which, had he been thinking clearly, Hiei would have remembered he didn't believe in.

That night he'd shown up at Karasu's hotel room. Karasu had offered him a drink and that was the last thing Hiei remembered before waking up shackled to the iron framed hotel bed. He was completely naked and a thick black ball gag was wedged behind his teeth.

No sooner had his eyes opened than Karasu appeared. "What a lovely sight you make." he said with a grin. "While you might be small in stature, you certainly make up for it in other areas." He glided closer to the bed. "You look worried, my pet. It's only me."

Hiei let loose a rage of obscenities from behind his gag and pulled at his bonds. "Mhll kmplll youph!" he shouted.

Karasu chuckled. "Doubtful, my love." he replied. "You are much to fond of me for that." He stood up and removed his clothes quickly, then climbed on top of his captive. "Worry not, pretty one. This'll only hurt for a few minutes. Well, right now anyway." With that he shoved his way inside of Hiei and used him as he pleased.

The next morning, Hiei awoke alone in the room, sore in places he didn't even want to think about, with a fuzzy at best memory of what had happened. All he could remember was that he had met Karasu and that they had had sex. When he tried to think of what else could have happened, his head throbbed angrily. So he stopped. _Bastard probably talked me into drinking too much. _Hiei thought. This felt something like his first, and last, hangover.

From there is was easy for Karasu, he stalked Hiei across Europe and each time they got a little closer. He used an array of drugs to alter the small man's memory and to force him to tell him things. When it came out about Hiei's sister Yukina and their strained relationship, Karasu knew he'd won.

He could tell that she was Hiei's weak point. That he felt guilty about something and would therefore do anything to keep her safe. It played right into his plans. In Prague, he sprung the trap. This time, he allowed Hiei to keep his memories, and when he awoke, Karasu was ready. Watching the little man's face as he explained the blackmail was going to be such fun.

* * *

A/N: Yes, yes, I know. That was a cliffhanger. But I really don't want to give away too much of Hiei's past right away. This is enough to let you guys know some of what Hiei went through before he settled down and met Kurama. I think maybe every other Wednesday or so, you will get a look into either Hiei or Kurama's past. Mostly Hiei's, Kurama's is much less sordid. Um…what else? Oh! Yeah, I know that Karasu was infatuated with Kurama in the anime, but I thought that that was a little too overdone, the whole people fawning over Kurama thing. So Hiei gets stuck with the freak. Your next update will be on Friday and there will a chapter on Sunday since someone made a request. As always, thanks for reviewing, and let me know what you thought of this!


	7. Fair Play

Chapter 7: Fair Play

Kurama smiled at the adorable face his boyfriend was making as he tried to hide his pout. "It's only for a weekend, Hiei." he said again.

"It's not like I'm going to miss you or anything." Hiei grunted, averting his eyes.

Kurama raised a scarlet eyebrow. "Oh really?" He gripped Hiei's chin in cool fingers and leaned down to kiss him deeply.

"Well, maybe a little." the shorter man answered breathlessly. He flopped down on the redhead's bed. "Shouldn't I be going too? To you know, 'meet the parents'?"

"I honestly thought you wouldn't want to." Kurama answered, folding a shirt into his overnight bag. "Are we at that point in our relationship?"

Hiei shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"I suppose not. Still, I should prepare my mother for the shock before I just spring you on her. She knows that I prefer men, but I have never brought one home before, so she probably thinks I have changed my mind."

"But you haven't."

Kurama nodded. "No, I haven't. Perhaps I'll tell her about you. Christmas is coming up, we could go to my mother's house and spend it there. Oh! We could have matching sweaters!"

The raven haired man shuddered violently. "Forget I said anything."

* * *

Shiori Minamino Hatanaka pulled her son into her arms. "It's been too long."

"I was here early last month, Mother." Kurama replied, hugging her back.

"I know." his mother said, leading him into the house. "But I worry about you out there in the city all alone."

"I am far from alone, Mother. I work with Kuronue. Yusuke and Kuwabara keep me from holing up in my apartment. And…then there's Hiei."

Shiori nodded. "That's good. Come into the kitchen, dear. I'll make us some tea."

Kurama followed her, noticing how quiet the house seemed. "Where is everyone?" he asked.

"Your stepfather and stepbrother are on a camping trip. This is going to be the last warm weekend for a while, so Satou took your brother."

"I see." the redhead answered and went to sit at the table.

"How is your store doing?" Shiori wanted to know.

"Well. The closer it gets to the holidays, the more business we see. Can I help you with anything, Mother?"

Shiori waved his request aside. "You sit right there, dear. We got the invitation to Kazuma's wedding. It was very nice of him to include us."

Kurama nodded. "Yes. He wanted you all to be there. He is grateful for all you did for him when we were younger."

"It was no trouble. He was a good boy. He and Yusuke both. I'm glad they are doing well." Shiori frowned. "You mentioned someone else though."

Kurama stalled by accepting a cup of steaming tea from his mother, waiting for her to be seated, and taking a sip. "I…yes. Hiei."

"He's a new friend?"

He traced the rim of his teacup with a delicate finger. "He is. He started out as a customer. Hiei is Kuwabara's fiancée's twin brother, and he was buying flowers for her. We got to talking at the engagement part later that same night."

"That's nice. Are you two close?" Shiori could tell there was something her son was not telling her. She had an idea what it might be, but she wanted to hear him say it.

"We've grown to be." Kurama answered slowly. "He's…we're…" He stopped and took a breath. "We're dating." Without waiting for his mother's reply, the redhead rushed on. "I've told you that I prefer men, and although I have yet to have a successful relationship with one, that hasn't changed."

Shiori surprised him by laughing gently. "I didn't think it would. Yes, I was sad to realize that I would never be getting a daughter in law that I could spoil, but I've always accepted your preference. This Hiei is good to you?"

Kurama smiled softly. "Too good." he replied.

"What does he do?"

"He teaches swordsmanship at a dojo in the city. He's very good at it."

Shiori nodded her approval. "As long as you are happy, dear."

"I am. I'll bring him with me sometime." Kurama promised.

The day passed quickly, with Kurama helping his mother with dinner and the two of them talking and laughing over old photos. It was already quite late when Shiori bid her son good night and headed up to bed.

Kurama cleaned up the kitchen, made himself a cup of tea, and went up to his old bedroom. It was much the same as it was when he'd lived there. The walls were painted a soft blue color and were bare except for a few bookshelves. A desk sat along one wall and the bed was on the opposite one. Kurama fished his laptop out of his bag and set it up on the desk.

He checked his email and did some work making sure the store's finances were in order. He was considering going to bed when his cell phone buzzed with a text message. Kurama flipped it open and smiled when he saw it was from Hiei.

_Are you in your bedroom? _it said.

Kurama was puzzled. _At my mother's. Yes. _he replied. He waited, but there was no response. Chalking it up to one of his boyfriend's odd quirks, the redhead grabbed his toiletry bag and headed to the bathroom.

He showered quickly, washing his hair during the process. Kurama toweled the long red mass dry and then wrapped the towel around his waist. He was combing his hair as he walked back to his room. It was an intensive process, which might have been why he didn't see the addition.

"Why don't you ever look this delicious when you stay at my house?" a very familiar voice asked.

Kurama dropped the comb looked up in surprise. There on his bed was Hiei with a smug grin on his face. "How did you get in here?" Kurama hissed.

Hiei jerked his head in the direction of the window. The smile faded from his face and he looked down. "Is this okay?" he asked softly.

"I'll admit I am shocked to see you." Kurama replied carefully. "But yes, this is fine."

The shorter man walked over to his boyfriend. He reached up, fisting his hands in Kurama's still damp hair. "Good." he purred, pulling the taller man down to him. They kissed hard and fast, then slow and deep. Hiei let one hand drop to the edge of the towel covering Kurama's lower half. It had slipped from his waist down to his hips, letting a light dusting of red pubic hair free.

The redhead gasped into Hiei's mouth as the smaller man gripped one of his hips tightly. "Hiei, my mother is right down the hall." he whispered.

"I know." Hiei returned, sliding a finger from the hip to the trail of hair that disappeared into the towel. "You can stop me at any time." Hearing no further complaint, Hiei's finger dipped into the towel, tickling the skin there.

A combination of a moan and a laugh burst out of Kurama's mouth. Who was this person? Kurama Minamino did not fool around in his mother's house. He just did not. But Hiei was making it hard to concentrate on that. And the lower that finger went, the less Kurama seemed to care about propriety and what he didn't do. It felt good, damn it.

Hiei removed his finger from the towel and brought his hand to where the cloth was tucked. He played with it a little, loosening it. But he waited, knowing that at some point, Kurama was going to tell him to stop. And he would, because the little brunette knew what it was to not have his limits respected.

Kurama's lips parted and his tongue darted out to moisten his lips. He looked down, spearing Hiei with his emerald gaze. "Our first time will not be in my childhood bed with my mother mere feet away." he cautioned. "But…if we're quiet…we can…"

Hiei took the meaning. He spun the redhead around and pushed him onto the bed. "I like it when you loosen up." he whispered into Kurama's ear. "But, I should point out that we already had our first time."

Green eyes rolled. "I am not counting that. You were drunk."

Hiei straddled the larger man's waist. "Fair enough." He peppered Kurama's bare chest with kisses and bites. He took notice of the gasp he got when his teeth scraped lightly along a nipple. He scooted down Kurama's body and opened the towel. "Yep, just like I remembered. Carpet matches the drapes."

Kurama blushed, and Hiei felt a surge of joy. It was nice, he decided, being intimate with someone you cared about.

Since he _had _been fairly drunk the last time he'd been in such proximity to Kurama's length, he vowed to take this time to relearn it. It was still the nice size he remembered it being, not large enough to break him, but large enough to present a challenge for the smaller man. He ran his fingers through the red curls at the base of him, marveling at how fine they were.

Kurama moaned a little. "Having fun down there?"

"Not yet." Hiei wrapped a small hand around the shaft and squeezed a little.

His boyfriend inhaled sharply, the feeling of Hiei's calloused hand making him harder by the minute. "Hiei." he whined.

"Hm?" The brunette squeezed again, this time moving his hand up to close around the tip. "Do you like this?" he asked casually.

Kurama could only nod. It felt amazing. He was surprised by how easy it had been to drop his reservations and allow his little lover to have his way. They had still only been dating for a little over a month, and usually Kurama wouldn't let someone be this intimate with him for a while yet. But it felt so good with Hiei. The two locked eyes and there was a promise in the red depths of Hiei's. _I'll keep you safe. _

Kurama was knocked from his musings by the feel of the tip of Hiei's tongue swirling around the head of his erection. Without warning, the smaller man engulfed the tip in his warm mouth. Kurama's back arched, sending more of his length into Hiei's mouth.

Hiei grabbed Kurama's hips, holding him still as he took more and more into his mouth. He liked the way the redhead smelled like roses, even down there, and tasted clean, like rain. He bobbed his head up and down, taking more of the smooth hardness until it hit the back of his throat, then he held still, palming Kurama's sac.

The redhead was whimpering and clutching at the sheets. He felt electrically charged and _good. _Hiei moved his head up and down again, lightly grazing his teeth along the shaft as he came up.

And that was enough for Kurama. He thrust his hips up and came hard. Hiei, the more experienced of the two, was prepared, and he swallowed it all as he came up, letting go of the softening length with an audible pop.

He tilted his head as he looked at the other man. "You okay?" he wanted to know.

Kurama nodded. He swallowed and pulled Hiei down to lie on his chest. "Better than okay. I am really quite fond of you."

Hiei snorted. "Because I don't have a gag reflex?"

"No. Because you are a good person and I like you."

Hiei smiled a little at that. "Should I leave?" he asked.

"You don't have to. I told my mother about you earlier; she was much more fine with it than I expected. You could meet her in the morning, if you wished."

"Okay." Hiei said.

They were quiet for a moment. "Hiei," Kurama began. "It doesn't seem fair that you came all the way out here, and I am the only one who got…er…pleasured."

The shorter man snickered at his boyfriend's discomfort with the word. "Don't worry about it." he murmured so softly Kurama almost didn't hear him. "This…closeness is enough."

* * *

A/N: I was going to go into the whole Hiei meets Kurama's mother thing, but it felt a little superfluous. If you guys really want to see it, then I'll make that Monday's update, but if not, we can just move on. This was my first attempt at smutty HxK goodness, I do hope it's alright. I know the two of them are moving rather quickly, but don't worry, there are many more moments ahead. There's a request for Sunday, so I'll see you all then!


	8. Mothering

Chapter 8: Mothering

It was a rare slow day at the Wandering Rose, and Kurama was zoned out as he trimmed the thorns off of a rose plant. He was thinking of the previous weekend when Hiei had shown up randomly at his mother's house.

The two of them had fallen asleep tangled together and they awoke the same way. Kurama could hear his mother puttering around in the kitchen and gently shook Hiei awake. The little brunette blinked at him. "My mother is awake. I am going to go warn her that you're here."

Hiei nodded and unwound himself from his pretty redhead. "Is she going to freak out?" he whispered.

Kurama shook his head. "My mother has seen it all. I've been friends with Yusuke and Kuwabara for years after all, and it's not the first time someone has come through my window in the middle of the night."

Hiei scowled a little at the thought of those two morons being in Kurama's room after hours. Kurama chuckled and kissed Hiei's nose. He stretched and slid out of bed. He blushed a little when he saw that he was still naked, but shook it off and reached for his bag to put on some clothes. The redhead could feel Hiei's eyes sliding down his form and he shivered. "The bathroom is down the hall on the left." Kurama said. "If you want to freshen up."

Once he was dressed, he ran a brush through his hair. He kissed Hiei once more and then headed down to the kitchen.

Shiori was making breakfast, and she turned around with a smile when her son entered. "Good morning, dear." she said. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did." Kurama replied. "Mother, how would you feel about one more at breakfast?"

"Is one of your friends coming over?"

"Er…something like that. Hiei…showed up last night after you went to bed. I hope that's okay."

Shiori laughed. "Of course it is. I would love to meet him."

No sooner had she said that, than Hiei appeared in the kitchen. He took Kurama's hand. "Mother, this is Hiei, my boyfriend. Hiei, my mother, Shiori Hatanaka."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Hatanaka." Hiei said politely. "I'm sorry for just bursting in on you like this."

"You as well, Hiei." Shiori replied. "And nonsense. Any friend of my son's is welcome here."

It had gone well, Kurama decided. Hiei was polite, Shiori was accepting. The redhead had nothing to complain about. He checked the clock on the wall in the garden area of his shop. It was almost time to close for the day.

* * *

Hiei opened his front door to see Kurama standing on the stoop with bags of groceries. "I thought I'd make you dinner." he said.

The shorter man moved aside so Kurama could come in. "You do know I am capable of getting my own dinner, right?" he asked as he closed the door.

Kurama laughed. "You can't eat take out every night, Hiei."

"It's not every night." Hiei grumbled in return.

"All the same, I'm making you dinner tonight." Kurama led the way to the kitchen and placed his bags on the table. He turned around and kissed Hiei sweetly.

"Fine." Hiei grunted and plopped into one of his kitchen chairs. "You know where everything is."

The redhead nodded and got to it. He spread out his ingredients and began making a chicken and broccoli casserole.

Hiei just watched, surprised at how comfortable he felt having Kurama moving around in his kitchen as if he owned it. Once the dish had been placed in the oven, he stood and pressed himself close to Kurama's back, just inhaling the scent of him.

"Well hello there." Kurama murmured. "Bored already?"

"No." Hiei mumbled. "You just smell good."

Feeling rather bold, Kurama switched their positions so that Hiei was sitting on the counter and he was between his legs. He leaned forward and captured the smaller man's lips with his own. "I'm glad you live alone." Kurama whispered between kisses.

Hiei had to agree. He licked along Kurama's bottom lip and was rewarded by with a soft gasp. He slipped his tongue into his lover's mouth and teased the appendage he found there.

Kurama rose to the challenge beautifully and their tongues danced together as their hands roamed over each other's bodies. The redhead's nimble fingers reached into Hiei's pants and wrapped around the hardening length they found there.

Hiei groaned into Kurama's mouth and bucked into his hand. He was surprised at the show of dominance from his boyfriend. Kurama usually had to be prodded into such acts. Not that he was complaining, of course.

The smooth coolness of the gardener's hand felt wonderful on his heated flesh and he found himself bucking faster and getting closer.

Kurama caught Hiei's gaze with his own. "Come for me." he whispered gently.

There was no force in his words. The choice was completely Hiei's and he chose to obey. He gave one last thrust and then came all over Kurama's hand.

The redhead smiled and pulled his hand out of Hiei's pants. He licked the white fluid from his fingers, his eyes never leaving those of his lover's as he did so.

Hiei flushed. "You're getting much to good at these things." he panted.

Kurama chuckled. "I didn't think there was any such thing." he leaned closer to the smaller man and whispered in his ear. "Besides, you can't wear the pants in this relationship _all _the time. Now go clean up while I check on dinner."

Hiei slid off the counter and went to go do as he was told. His head was spinning as he walked up the stairs. It had been nearly a decade since a hand job and some heavy petting had made him feel so…boneless, weightless, and good. The pretty man down in the kitchen was doing things to him that he'd never felt before. He liked it; that much he knew.

He washed up quickly, changed his pants, and was down the stairs again just in time to hear Kurama swear under his breath. "What?" he asked as he came around the corner.

Kurama was holding his hand under a stream of cold water in the sink. "Nothing to get alarmed about. I burned myself."

"How?" Hiei demanded, going for the freezer to make an ice pack.

The redhead blushed. "Well…I wasn't thinking very clearly, and I reached into the oven to get out the casserole…er…without an oven mitt."

Hiei stared at the taller man. That was something he'd expect from Kuwabara or one of his idiot friends, but not from Kurama. His look must have conveyed that because Kurama blushed harder.

"Come here." Hiei ordered, taking his lover's hand in his own. He pressed the ice pack lightly to the burned fingers. "No more cooking for you tonight."

"I'm fine, Hiei. I've had much worse."

Hiei shook his head. "Sit." he said, pushing him into a chair. "You're not hurting yourself more on my watch."

Kurama obeyed. "Yes, sir." he replied jokingly.

Hiei got an oven mitt and pulled the pan out of the oven. "_This _is how you remove something hot from the oven." he said pointedly.

The redhead stuck his tongue out.

"I have better uses for your tongue than pointing it at me." Hiei remarked as he set the casserole on the counter. He had to admit that it smelled good. He got one plate down and dished the food up, bringing it to the table with one fork.

He took a bite of the steaming food and then held another bite out for Kurama. The gardener raised an eyebrow. "I do retain the use of my hands, Hiei." he pointed out. "Feeding myself is not that hard."

"Will you just eat the damned food?" Hiei snapped. "You need to keep that ice on your hand."

Deciding to take the gesture for what it was, Kurama opened his mouth obediently. Hiei deposited the food there and ate his own bite while Kurama chewed. "And how long exactly do you intend to feed me?" the redhead wanted to know.

Hiei shrugged. "As long as it takes." He fed his lover another bite.

"I suppose I can live with that." Kurama responded after he swallowed.

"But don't make a habit of hurting yourself." Hiei warned. "I have better uses for your hands too."

* * *

A/N: Whew! Another chapter down! This one, as promised, is dedicated to Shoelace83. I hope this is somewhat what you had in mind. I wanted to keep Hiei as in character as possible, but I think I failed a little. Anyway, I hope you guys have an excellent 4th of July!


	9. The Outing Redux or A Small Quarrel

Chapter 9: The "Outing" Redux

or A Small Quarrel

Hiei had a headache.

Kurama's friend Yusuke had a big mouth, and he had yet to stop talking since the two had arrived. Apparently the redhead and the big mouthed police officer had lunch together once a month and he had tagged along for this one. The second they'd walked into the restaurant, Yusuke had been all up in arms.

"I can't believe you told Kuwabara and not me!" he shouted.

Kurama shot Hiei an apologetic look and motioned for him to sit. "I'm sorry, Yusuke. I thought he would tell you."

"Well, he did. And I called bullshit. Then he got Yukina to confirm it. But I was still like no way. There's no way Kurama's got a guy that I didn't get to meet."

"But you _did_ meet him." Kurama pointed out.

"Yeah, but not as your boyfriend! There's got to be a separate introduction for that!"

Kurama sighed. "Alright, Yusuke. This is Hiei. He's my boyfriend. Hiei, this is Detective Yusuke Urameshi. He works for the local precinct, and I've known him since we were teenagers. Can we order now?"

Yusuke relented, and they ordered their food. They had begun eating when Kurama noticed Yusuke staring at him intently. "Yes?" he asked warily.

"I'm just trying to picture you having sex." the dark haired man said.

Hiei glared at him and Kurama flushed. "Why in the world are you doing that?" he demanded.

"Because I can't see it. I always assumed your bottom layer of clothing was like stitched to your body or something. I don't think I've even seen you shirtless in all the years we've known each other."

"His clothes are very much removable, Detective." Hiei interjected. "In fact, if you'd like, I could tell you the things we do so you don't have to imagine it. I could tell you what happens when his hand slips into my pants at night-"

"No thanks!" Yusuke broke in. "I don't need that image in my head."

Hiei smirked and shrugged. That had effectively killed the conversation for the time being, and the small swordsman went back to his burrito. Kurama kicked him under the table which Hiei answered by running his foot up the other man's leg seductively. The redhead flushed again.

"We should have a party." Yusuke said suddenly.

"For what occasion?" Kurama wanted to know. "Are you finally going to propose to Keiko?"

It was the detective's turn to be embarrassed. "Yeah one day. But I was thinking more a coming out party for the two of you."

"No." Hiei snapped.

"Oh, c'mon, Hiei." Yusuke said. "It'll be fun. All of your friends will be there, well…all of Kurama's friends, because I don't know any of your friends, and honestly I doubt you have any. We can drink and eat and it'll be great!"

"No."

Kurama sighed again. "We really don't need a party, Yusuke. Though we appreciate the sentiment."

"You're just saying that because he doesn't want one." Yusuke replied.

"No, I'm saying that because _I _don't particularly like parties, which you know."

The dark haired man checked his watch and groaned. "I gotta get back to the station, but think about it okay?" Yusuke dropped some money on the table to pay for his food, shrugged into his coat, and then headed out the door.

Kurama and Hiei paid for their food and then left as well. Hiei was off that day, so he followed the redhead down the street to the Wandering Rose. He had been to the shop several times to pick Kurama up or to walk home with him, but he had never come just to hang out.

"Are you hanging around?" Kurama asked him in surprise.

The shorter man shrugged. "Will it distract you?"

Kurama leaned down and kissed him. "Of course it will, but stay anyway." He opened the door to the store. "Kuronue, I'm back from lunch." he called.

The tall man popped up from behind the counter. "Oh, hey." He caught sight of Hiei. "Hey, Hiei."

Hiei nodded in greeting and wandered off to look at the flowers. "What were you doing down there?" Kurama asked his employee.

"Hiding." Kuronue responded.

Kurama frowned as he put his apron on. "From what?"

"My ex-girlfriend was walking around outside, and I didn't want her to see me. I was listening for the bell though."

"Okay." the gardener said slowly.

"How was lunch?" Kuronue wanted to know.

"It was fine. Yusuke was being Yusuke. He wants to throw Hiei and me a 'coming out' party." He made air quotes with his fingers. "I told him it was unnecessary."

"Aw, but that's a great idea!" the tall man said. "Yomi might be coming through town this weekend. He could come!"

Kurama closed his eyes. There was going to be no way out of this. "Kuronue…" he began. "Neither of us like parties very much."

"And I am not going to be used as an excuse for a bunch of morons to get wasted." Hiei put in, appearing out of nowhere.

"What if we make it a small party? More like a get together? It could be classy." Kuronue speared Hiei with a look. "I've met your sister, and she would love something like this. She'd want to help."

And that sealed it. Hiei glared in defeat. "It's not going to be at my place." was his reply.

"Nor mine." Kurama said quickly. "There will be no more than twenty people invited, and there will be no beer."

"Done, done, and done." Kuronue assured them. "I'll give Yusuke a call and we'll put something together."

Kurama just nodded and headed to the back to tend to his plants.

Hiei gave the other black haired male his sister's phone number. "Let her help plan." he ordered. Yukina would make sure it didn't get out of hand.

"You gave in too easily." he said as he approached his lover who was surrounded by flowers. "We could have avoided this whole thing."

"If I recall, Hiei, once Kuronue mentioned that it would make Yukina happy, you folded yourself. You put the happiness of your sister ahead of your own. It's sweet."

Hiei snorted. "And _you_ put the happiness of your friends ahead of your own. It's stupid."

Kurama closed his eyes. "I don't want to fight with you about this. We'll have the party and then move on with our lives. There are people that will get enjoyment out of it, even if it is not us."

"Oh, good." Hiei returned sarcastically. He plopped down on the floor beside the redhead.

"What if I reward you for putting up with this?" Kurama bargained.

"I'm not a child."

"A fact I am well aware of. But that doesn't mean you can't be compensated for good behavior."

* * *

The week seemed to go by faster than normal, and soon it was Friday and the day of the party. Since most of Kurama's friends lived in apartments, Yukina's friend Botan pulled some strings and got her boss to let them use of the lakeside cottages that he owned. The party was going to be small as Kurama had requested and while there was wine and champagne, there was no beer present.

Yusuke had grumbled, calling it a dud, but Yukina had very politely suggested that perhaps it was time they had more grown up parties, since they were, in fact, grownups.

By the time Kurama and Hiei pulled up in Kurama's car, it looked like most of the guests had arrived.

The redhead squeezed Hiei's hand. "Please try to have a good time tonight." The small brunette looked at him incredulously and Kurama rolled his eyes. "Alright, well, at least don't spend the evening glaring at everyone."

Hiei was not looking forward to this and he had made it no secret. Yukina had asked him if there was anyone he'd like to invite, and he'd put Mukuro's name on the guest list mostly so she'd stop hitting on him at work.

He walked beside the redhead, who he had to admit looked very handsome in his black jeans and dark green sweater, as they headed up to the cottage.

Kuwabara spotted them and grinned. "Hey, everybody, Kurama and the shrimp are here!"

"It's about damned time." Yusuke said as they entered. "Thinking about bailing?"

"Of course not, Yusuke. We appreciate you all doing this."

Yukina came over then with a bubbly looking woman with blue hair. "Hiei!" the woman cried. "It's so good to see you!"

"Hey." he responded.

Seeing her brother wasn't going to, Yukina made introductions. "Kurama this is Botan, a friend of mine from college. Botan, this is Hiei's boyfriend Kurama."

"Nice to meet you." Botan said enthusiastically.

"She's not drunk." Hiei muttered. "This is her being normal."

"Kurama!"

The gardener turned and saw Kuronue waving to him. "It was nice to meet you, Botan. Thank you for helping with this, Yukina. If you'll excuse us." Kurama towed his boyfriend over to where Kuronue was standing with another tall man with long black hair.

"Yomi." Kurama said warmly. "It's been too long."

"I agree." the man said with a smile. "You look the same as always. I think you'll look this good on your deathbed."

Hiei threw a glare at the man. That sounded suspiciously like flirting to him. He elbowed Kurama, and the redhead started. "Yomi this is Hiei. Hiei this is my friend Yomi. We went to the same college."

"I'd say we were more than friends then, Kurama." Yomi said. "They used to joke that we were joined at the hip!"

"Or at other things." Kuronue put in. "I'd be trying to study and those two would be whispering about something. It was gross."

"You were jealous, my friend." Yomi replied with a smile. "Kurama and I were good together."

"For a time." Kurama agreed.

"Where'd Hiei go?" Kuronue asked suddenly.

Kurama looked around and saw his boyfriend pushing his way over to the drinks table. "He'll be okay." he said. "Hiei is less fond of such gatherings than I am."

"I didn't think that was possible."

* * *

Mukuro caught sight of her employee by the table with the wine. He was in the process of knocking back a glass of merlot when she came over.

"Slow down there, short stuff." she said. "It'll go straight to your head."

Hiei shot her a withering glare. "And I should care why?"

"Because you don't want to be wasted at your own party." Mukuro tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked down. "Where is your boyfriend anyway?"

"Oh you finally believe me, do you?" Hiei snapped. He sighed and set the glass down. "He's over there, chatting it up with an ex of his."

Mukuro's eyes widened. "And you're jealous? I didn't even think you were capable of feeling things that other people felt." She peered over at Kurama who was laughing at something Yomi had said. "He's cute, I'll give you that."

"I don't need you to give me anything."

"Except a paycheck."

The swordsman glared at her again. "I'm going outside." he said.

"Is that an invitation?" Mukuro asked with a sly smile.

"No. It's information. In case he…well if anyone cares."

"Fine, fine." the woman replied, losing interest already. "I'll tell him. If he cares."

Hiei looked over at Kurama again and then headed for the door.

* * *

Nearly an hour and a half had passed, and Kurama had to admit that this was not such a bad party. He had greatly enjoyed catching up with Yomi and Kuronue, and now he was off to find his boyfriend.

The redhead felt bad about letting his friends monopolize his time, and he intended to apologize for it if he could ever hunt down Hiei. It seemed the little brunette was nowhere in sight.

"I know who you're looking for." A tall woman with reddish-blond hair said as she walked up beside him. "My name is Mukuro."

"Oh, you're Hiei's boss." Kurama said.

"I am. And you are his boyfriend. I fear you've been a bit negligent tonight, Kurama."

"Yes, I am aware of that. I'm trying to find him to apologize."

Mukuro smiled. "Well, I might know where he is."

Kurama frowned at her. "Either you do, or you don't."

"Oh, I do, and I'll gladly tell you, if _you _tell _me_ something."

The redhead could understand now why his little lover was always so exasperated with this woman. She spoke as if she thought she was telling him a riddle that it was his privilege to solve.

"What is it that you want to know?"

"Do you care about him? Does he make you feel things you never thought you would feel? Because he does for me, and if you are just playing around with him, I'd like a chance to go out with him before he gets entirely besotted with your pretty face."

Kurama was a little stunned. "I do not play around with anything." he said firmly. "What I feel for Hiei is none of your business. Furthermore, you are his employer so your behavior is beyond inappropriate. Now, if you'll excuse me, I will go find him myself."

He walked quickly away, leaving Mukuro wide-eyed behind him. Kurama had never raised his voice, but she could still tell he meant business. _Oh well, _she thought, _it was worth a try._

* * *

By the time he made it outside, Kurama had calmed down. All he wanted now was to find Hiei and make sure every thing was okay with them. He didn't have to look very hard once he was out of the cottage. Even in the dark, he could make out the silhouette of Hiei's shock of hair down by the lake.

Kurama walked down and stood behind him. "Are you very angry with me?" he asked quietly.

Hiei shrugged. "Should I be?"

"Probably. I behaved quite rudely, and I am sorry."

The shorter man turned around. "You're not going to tell me that I overreacted by leaving?"

"Did you? Overreact, I mean."

Hiei shook his head. "Was I supposed to just stand there and listen to stories about how you and Yomi were so good together?"

Kurama sighed. "No. I understand why you left. I should have told you about Yomi and I before we got here. I shouldn't have let them go on and on about when we were dating in front of you. I do accept full responsibility for this."

There was a heavy silence for a few minutes and then Hiei let out a breath. "You're far too perfect to be with me." he said almost inaudibly.

"Hardly." the redhead scoffed. "Hiei, this is the happiest relationship I've been in. Granted, there haven't been many, but I wouldn't trade what I have with you for anything."

"Not even more good times with Yomi?"

Kurama smiled indulgently. "What he neglected to mention was that there were just as many bad times as their were good. Yomi was a terrible flirt, and he was always attracting the eye of someone else. It was quite frustrating."

"I know how that feels." Hiei muttered, looking up into his boyfriend's pretty face.

"I _am _sorry. But you must understand that you are all I want, Hiei. In fact, I think I have decided that no one else can have you."

That took the shorter man by surprise. It sounded like something Karasuwould have said back when he'd had no freedom. But instead of eliciting fear and the desire to run, it made Hiei…_happy? _He was no man's property anymore, but he'd gladly be kept by Kurama.

Making a move that was out of character for him, Hiei moved forward and wrapped his arms around the other man's torso. He burrowed his nose in Kurama's chest and held on for dear life.

Kurama embraced his lover tightly and dropped a kiss on his head. A small smile was playing on his lips as he whispered, "Perhaps this party was not such a bad idea."

Hiei snorted. "No, it was." his voice was muffled by Kurama's sweater. "It just turned out okay."

Kurama laughed. "You are so stubborn." He pulled away from the smaller man and took his hand possessively. "Come on. We should at least say goodnight before we leave."

"We're leaving?"

"I did promise to reward you for agreeing to this party. Tomorrow's Saturday, neither of us has to work, and I propose we spend the day in bed."

Kurama didn't say what they would be doing in that bed, but Hiei didn't much care. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with his pretty redhead so that he could figure out exactly what this feeling in his chest was.

* * *

A/N: I am so sorry there was no update on Monday. I was out for most of the day, and when I came home, the internet was acting up. But I've given you guys an extra long chapter today to make up for it. I even got Hiei somewhat back in character, though I kind of ruined it with that hug at the end. Oh well. More and more people are finding this story, and that makes me so happy! I'll take this moment to remind everyone about Reader Request Sundays. If there's something you want to see, request it, and I'll write it for a Sunday update.


	10. Home

Chapter 10: Home

Kurama's bedroom was the largest room in his five room apartment. Due to some design flaw, the space that had been allotted for a den/living room area had been turned into the bedroom. But that was the reason that Kurama had decided to live there. He loved how the room gave him the space to have many bookshelves and tables for the plants that he kept.

He also was quite fond of the way Hiei looked as he stood in front of one of the large windows staring at the moon. "What is it with you and windows?" The redhead asked as he watched his lover from the bed. They had just gotten home from the party, and were just relaxing, enjoying each other's company.

Hiei answered without turning around. "Freedom. If there's a window, I can get free."

Kurama lowered emerald eyes. "And are you so concerned with being free of this place?"

The shorter man shook his head quickly. "No. It's a left over habit for me to check for a quick exit. Your place is better than mine because you don't have to worry about anyone bursting in on you."

Kurama chuckled at that and then grew serious. "Hiei." he said, waiting for his lover to turn around before speaking again. "I know that something terrible happened to you once. I have been accused many times of being too perceptive, and…well…I can just tell with you."

Hiei sighed. "It was a long time ago." he whispered. "And you are _not_ him. I know you won't…" he found he couldn't finish.

"I would never." the redhead vowed. "Aside from that, if you need to talk about it, or if things become to hard, please tell me. I care for you, Hiei, and I want you to be as happy in this relationship as I am."

Hiei's lips quirked up in a smile. "You're obviously not that observant, or you would see that I am happy."

Kurama smiled at that. "All the same, please feel that you can confide in me."

The raven haired man came to lie on the bed beside his boyfriend. "Kurama, you are the only one I would tell. Yukina would be horrified, and I don't want to be pitied. One day you'll know."

They laid beside each other quietly for a while, each lost in thought. Finally Hiei spoke up again. "You never said what we would be doing in bed all day."

Kurama blushed. "Well…I was thinking…that maybe I was ready."

Hiei sat up quickly. "What?" he barked.

The redhead huffed. "I'm ready."

"Because we got in a fight? Stupid! That's no reason to-" he was cut off by Kurama's hand over his mouth.

"It's not because of the fight, Hiei." Kurama assured him. "I've been ready for the last couple of weeks, I just wanted to time it right. That was going to be your reward for good behavior."

"You're rewarding me…with you?" Kurama nodded. "Stupid." Hiei said again and leaned over to kiss him.

"You know," Kurama whispered against Hiei's lips. "I do believe you are the only one to ever insult my intelligence."

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." The smaller man whispered back. "What are you going to do about it?"

Kurama pounced, pinning Hiei to the bed. "I'll have you know I was valedictorian." he said with a grin.

In a display of strength, Hiei reversed their positions. "I like them smart." he replied and captured Kurama's soft lips in a heated kiss.

They kissed for a while, tongues battling for dominance, and Hiei's hand slipped up Kurama's shirt to the soft muscles of his chest. "Gardeners should not be this built." he murmured.

The redhead laughed. "I was a whip fighter in college." he explained. "Plus I go to the gym with Yusuke every once in a while, remember?"

Hiei nodded and took it upon himself to divest Kurama of his shirt. He circled his tongue around one of Kurama's dusky nipples and licked a path to the other. He so enjoyed the way his lover's breath caught when he was aroused.

Kurama began unbuttoning the dress pants Hiei had donned for the party. It wasn't hard to see that he was enjoying himself, and the redhead let his fingers play along the bulge in Hiei's underwear. He hooked his fingers under the waistband and dragged them down. Hiei's prominent erection sprang free and Kurama licked his lips.

He pushed on Hiei's chest, forcing him back onto his heels. Kurama swept his hair over one shoulder and knelt between Hiei's legs. Letting the shorter man know what he was going to do with his eyes, Kurama slid his tongue out and licked the precum from the tip of the length in front of him. He savored the taste for a moment, then engulfed the whole thing in his mouth.

Hiei through his head back and let out a guttural moan. "Don't you dare stop." he growled.

Kurama replied by running his tongue up the shaft.

* * *

"Ah!" Kurama cried. He was face down on the bed with Hiei on top of him. The smaller man was sliding himself into Kurama's tight hole. The redhead wasn't a virgin, but he was tight.

Hiei leaned down. "You okay?" he whispered raggedly.

Kurama nodded quickly. "Keep going. Please."

With a quick nod, Hiei spread the redhead's legs a little further apart and pushed himself in. He almost came right then and there. He was far more experienced than his boyfriend would probably ever be and he wanted to make this good for both of them. So he held back and waited for Kurama to get comfortable.

The subject of his concern bit his lip. "Move, Hiei. I can't take it, move."

Hiei complied and began sliding in and out. His breathing quickened and he was finding it hard to keep moving slowly.

"Hiei." Kurama gasped. "I won't break. You can move."

The smaller man complied and moved faster. He reached around and under the other man to grasp his rock hard erection in his hand. As he thrust in him he pumped his length.

Kurama cried out and clenched causing Hiei to cry out. It was a strange cycle of pleasure for the two of them, but neither was complaining. For several long minutes all that could be heard in Kurama's bedroom was the sound of flesh hitting flesh and labored breathing punctuated with moans and grunts.

Finally Hiei stiffened. "I'm…" he panted.

"Come." Kurama replied breathlessly. "I'm coming with you."

Hiei gave a mighty thrust and squeezed Kurama's erection. The rush of fluid that filled his hand alerted Hiei to Kurama's orgasm and he let his own loose. They cried out together and collapsed on the bed.

Hiei pulled out and rolled onto his back. "You okay?" he asked again.

Kurama chuckled weakly. "You'd think I was made of glass, Hiei. I'm fine, and that was wonderful."

"Nice to see I haven't lost my touch." Hiei ran a finger along Kurama's back. "Can we just lay here for a while? I don't think I can move yet."

"I know I can't." the redhead responded. "I feel like I just ran a marathon."

Hiei smirked. "Would you rather have gone to the gym with the detective?"

"Well, he does look nice in the shorts." Kurama answered, reaching out to lay his hand on Hiei's chest. "But I do think I am satisfied with what I've got.""

"Good, because we _will _be doing that again."

"I can be okay with that." The gardener reached out and picked a flower off the plant nearest the bed. He tucked it behind Hiei's ear and then kissed his chest. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"I don't know really. I've just never felt like this before, and I'm sure it has something to do with you."

Hiei laughed. "You say the mushiest things, Red."

Kurama shrugged. "I do it because you won't."

Later that night, after Kurama had fallen asleep, Hiei brushed the bright red hair out of his boyfriend's face. He sighed as he studied the delicate structure of his cheekbone and traced his lips with a finger. "I love you." the small swordsman whispered.

* * *

A/N: Okay so Hiei got the last word again, but wasn't it a good one? I know it's a little early for love, but the next chapter will go more into Hiei's past and we'll figure out just why he values Kurama so much. The lemon was hard to write, but I think it was okay. There won't be a chapter on Sunday since no one asked for anything. See you on Monday!


	11. Hiei II

Chapter 11: Hiei II

"I hate you." Hiei snarled as Karasu pounded into him. He was once again handcuffed to the bed, though this time not gagged because the bastard wanted to hear him scream. He was being punished for walking away from Karasu before.

The tall dark haired man grunted and came, filling the shorter man with his seed. "You make the most boring sex noises." Karasu complained as he pulled out and collapsed on the bed beside his favorite toy.

"Whatever." Hiei snapped. "You've made your point; I was bad. Now let me go."

"Oh, little one. You have so much to learn. You're being punished."

"Consider me punished. It will never happen again. Now, let. Me. Go."

In a rare show of anger, Karasu straddled Hiei's waist and gripped his throat in one hand. "What you seem to be forgetting, Hiei, is that through your own cowardice, I own you. You didn't want me to tell Yukina about what we've been doing. You didn't want me to tell her about the man you killed, however accidental it was. You don't want me to, and I can. As a result, I own you. So if I want to keep you chained to this bed for the duration of my stay in Madrid, I will, and there is nothing you can do about it. Understand?"

Hiei lowered his eyes, but didn't reply. He didn't think he had ever loathed someone as much as he loathed this man.

Karasu rolled away again. "I don't know why you make me treat me this way, darling. If you weren't so silly, we could be so good together." he shrugged and got out of the bed. "I'm going out for a while, little one. I'll be back to let you go soon, and then I'll be out of your hair. Well, until our next rendezvous." He got dressed and left the hotel room, making sure to lock the door behind him.

Once he was gone, Hiei let out a long breath. For the hell of it, he pulled against the handcuffs that held him. There was no give, not that he had been expecting them to. He almost wished the insufferable sadist was still here, at least then he wouldn't be alone with his thoughts.

He hadn't meant to kill Zeru. It had been one of his first fights, and the other man was clearly not up to his skill level. The tall blond hadn't known that though. He'd thought he was a hotshot, that he could beat Hiei because he was bigger. But the smaller man had unleashed his full potential, and Zeru had been fatally injured.

An inquiry into the fight had been made, but Hiei had been cleared of any blame. Still, the look on Zeru's face as Hiei's katana had pierced his side, haunted him. He didn't know if it was the alcohol, or the drugs that Karasu used to keep him on, but something had made him admit all of this to the man. He told him about his guilt over Zeru's death and how much he didn't want his kindhearted sister to find out about it. That was all Karasu needed to have a firm hold on him.

Hiei didn't know why he was resisting Karasu so hard. It wasn't like this ordeal made his life harder than it had already been.

He'd been struggling ever since he was a child. His father hadn't stuck around after he's knocked up his and Yukina's mother Hina. The woman couldn't afford to keep both of her children, and everyone told her to keep the girl since she'd be less trouble. Hina couldn't bear to part with either of the twins, so her best friend Rui had taken the boy to a foster home.

That's where Hiei grew up. He'd had to fight for whatever he wanted and it got even worse when he, and other people, discovered he was gay. All Hiei wanted was to get out of the foster home, hell out of the country would work too. So he did odd jobs for people and saved all the money he could. Once he graduated from high school, he headed straight for an airport.

It helped a little that once they turned ten, Yukina had found out about him and sought him out. She understood why her brother had to leave when he could. The girl hadn't had the easiest life either.

Hina had died when she was thirteen, and Yukina had moved in with Rui. The woman had offered to take Hiei in as well because she felt bad for him. The teen hadn't wanted her pity, so he declined. Instead he worked hard and graduated from high school a year ahead of everyone in his class, including his sister.

She and Rui had been his only representation at the commencement ceremony, not that the seventeen year old had cared much.

Yukina had thrown her arms around him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Hiei had blushed and looked away. "Stop that."

"I'm just so proud of you!" she replied. "And I know you're leaving soon, probably today."

He couldn't deny that. "You'll be okay?" he asked instead.

His sister nodded. "Only one more year for me. I'll probably need a year or two to get some money together before I can go to college."

"You could apply for scholarships."

"I could. But I think I also just need some time to…find myself, you know?" she laughed. "Of course you know."

Hiei chuckled. "I'll be back." he promised.

Yukina smiled and threw her arms around him. "Be careful, Hiei. I'll miss you."

And those were the last words his sister had said to him before he left. He certainly didn't want the next ones to be, "You killed a man?" So he let Karasu use and abuse him.

He'd never even let his sister find out that he liked men. He'd only had one boyfriend before whatever the hell he was doing with his captor. Hiei was fourteen and his boyfriend was twenty. It hadn't gone as well as they'd hoped, but it was nothing compared to this.

At this rate he was never going to date again.

* * *

Karasu returned two hours later. Hiei leveled a glare at him. "Did you enjoy yourself?" he spat.

The taller man laughed. "Quite. The flower girls in this city are excellent dancers. I wish I could take you dancing, but you're too willful for that. Which is a shame as I'm sure you're a beautiful dancer."

Hiei made a split decision then. Yeah, life sucked back when he was child. It sucked now too. But he was still alive, still fighting. He was not giving up. "I don't dance." he said finally.

Karasu grinned at the reply. "People can be taught, darling. Would you like lessons?"

There was hope in the twisted man's voice. Hiei knew that if he did nothing, Karasu would try to keep him, and he did not want to be kept by a sadistic psycho.

"Do _you _want me to get lessons?" he asked sullenly.

Karasu raised an eyebrow. "As if you care what I want. If you did we wouldn't be in this position."

"No, _I _wouldn't be in this position if you weren't a sick fuck. But I've decided that I need to do something to make this more bearable."

"So you are going to stop fighting me?"

"Something like that."

Karasu plopped down on the bed beside him. "Oh good. Those drugs are not cheap, you know. And you are a strong little darling." He planted a kiss on Hiei's chest, missing the young man's look of revulsion. "I suppose I should let you go so I can check out."

That was what Hiei needed right there. Once he was free from his bonds, he hurried to put his clothes on. His katana was leaning against the side of the bed in it's sheath. He knew what needed to be done, and he knew he could do it.

One thing that made his life easier was the fact that all the rooms they stayed in were in Karasu's name. No record of him being there existed. Very few people even saw the little brunette since Karasu kept him locked up in their room. It would be so easy for him to just disappear. He was good at disappearing. And so he would.

Karasu grabbed his toiletry bag and headed towards the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower. Feel free to leave when you want, it's not like I won't find you."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Hiei muttered.

As soon as he heard the water start running in the bathroom, Hiei walked to the door. He opened it and then let it slam shut, making Karasu think he had left.

He was light on his feet as he made his way over to the bed and snatched up his sword. He unsheathed it, wincing as the sound of the metal sliding out rang through the room. Hiei listened for a moment, but the shower ran uninterrupted in the bathroom.

Praying to gods he wasn't sure he believed in, Hiei turned the doorknob of the bathroom door and slipped into the already steamy bathroom. Thankfully, Karasu showered with the curtain as well as his eyes closed.

The shower curtain was fairly transparent, and Hiei could see his captor washing his long hair. He took a deep breath and lunged.

Time seemed to stand still. Karasu had a look of shock on his face and Hiei's sword protruded from his stomach. He stared down at the other man incredulously. "I suppose you win, then." he gasped out. "Commendable." He slid down the side of the shower into the tub.

Hiei stood there until he was sure the bastard was no longer breathing. Then he jerked his sword out of him and wiped it off.

Five minutes later he was gone, as if he'd never been there. Unlike the last death that was on his hands, this one came with no guilt. All he could manage to feel was free.

* * *

A/N: And there's Monday's update. In case you're wondering, the time line for Hiei's time abroad goes something like this.

17: Left Japan for Europe. Met Karasu after about five months of traveling.

18: Became all but enslaved to Karasu.

19: Yukina enters college, and Hiei returns to Japan to live in the same city his sister in which is sister is going to school.


	12. Confess

WARNING: This chapter is going to start off pretty depressing, because that's just the place I'm in right now. Hiei's going to be fairly out of character as he lets his insecurities take over. But don't worry. By the end, all will be well again.

Chapter 12: Confess

Kurama woke up that next morning a little disoriented. It was rare that he woke up alone on the weekends, so he was surprised that Hiei was not in bed with him. As his brain focused a little more, he remembered what they had done the night before. A smile spread over his face. Usually the morning after brought regret for the shy redhead. But this, just like the first time the two of them were together almost two months ago, felt right.

He sat up in his bed, grimacing as he tried to run his fingers through his hair but was stopped by the tangles. He looked around for his brush, and in the process, figured out where Hiei was.

The little brunette was huddled on the floor beside the bed with his head resting on his knees and his arms wrapped around himself.

"Hiei?" Kurama asked gently. A grunt was his response. "Are you okay?"

Hiei heaved a sigh, but still said nothing.

Kurama swallowed. He was not well versed in relationships, but he assumed that when your lover seemed depressed after sex, it was a bad thing. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Is this something I can fix?"

Hiei barked out a laugh. "I don't think I can be fixed." he whispered harshly.

"You'll find that I'm a perfectionist." the redhead replied jokingly. "I try to fix everything."

"Trust me, you'll fail."

Kurama frowned. He pushed the blankets back and slid to the floor to sit beside Hiei. "What's wrong, Hiei?"

The shorter man seemed smaller than ever. "I realized something last night." he said. "I love you, and you're too good for me. So I guess that's two somethings."

The gardener didn't know what to say to that. His mother was the only one who had ever said she loved him, and he was born loving her. He wasn't sure if he loved Hiei, but he knew that he felt more for him than anyone else. Fearing the silence had dragged on too long, Kurama decided to address the easier of the two things.

"In what way am I too good for you?" he demanded.

"I'm broken." Hiei admitted. "I've done terrible things, and once you know them all, you'll leave."

"Do you doubt my feelings for you that much?" Kurama wanted to know.

"It doesn't matter. Although I notice you're avoiding the first thing I said."

The redhead's nostrils flared in irritation. "Do you have any idea how happy I was when I woke up this morning, Hiei? How happy I've been since Yukina and Kuwabara's party? That wasn't some coincidence; that was you. I thought we made our peace with this last night. You've done things, and things have been done to you. I thought we were going to work with that. What happened?"

Hiei sighed, hating himself for making this harder than it really needed to be. But he couldn't let their relationship continue without getting over this. He would never forgive himself if he brought Kurama down to his level of general unhappiness.

"I realized I love you too much to make you as miserable as I am." Kurama sat back and took that in, and Hiei rushed on. "I've been happier than I've ever been with you, but some things can't be fixed."

Kurama closed his eyes. "I'm not going to ask you to tell me everything. You'll get to that in your own time. And I'm not going to force you to stay in this relationship if you would rather be alone. But you must trust that I care for you enough to stay with you no matter how miserable you are."

Hiei uncurled himself and leaned against the wall. He reached for Kurama's hand, taking comfort in the cool flesh. "I've killed two men." he whispered almost inaudibly. There was silence for several minutes, until Hiei broke it. "Too much?"

"I thought there was more, actually." Kurama replied.

"What?"

"Hiei, you were a sword fighter for years. Accidents happen."

"Only one was an accident." Hiei assured him. "The other…"

"Is obviously tied to something else that happened to you."

"How are you so calm about this?" the raven haired man demanded.

"Because whatever happened to you, happened in the past. I don't know who you were then, Hiei, but I know you now, and you're good." He leaned closer to the other man and whispered in his ear. "You proved that last night."

Hiei shivered. If Kurama was the universe's way of atoning for the crap he'd been through, he would take it. "You are much too perfect."

"I'm not, but you're sweet to say so."

"I still don't think you fully understand what I'm saying."

"About me being perfect?"

"About me killing people!" Hiei returned. "You're acting like it's no big deal, but I know you care."

"Of course I care, Hiei, but I also trust you. The man you killed by accident, did you feel bad about it?"

"I still do."

Kurama nodded. "And the one who _wasn't_ an accident, did he deserve it?"

"It was the only way." Hiei answered, his voice pleading. "I don't even want to think what would have happened if that bastard was still alive."

"That's good enough for me, Hiei. Honestly."

* * *

It was a Saturday, and neither of them had anything to do. It seemed that they had made their peace with what had happened that morning. They both knew that there was going to need to be another conversation at some point. Maybe even regular check ins to makes sure that they were both still on the same page. But for right now there was peace.

It was a little after two in the afternoon, and they were in Kurama's living room. The redhead was sitting on his couch with Hiei's head in his lap. Kurama was reading a thick book, and Hiei was staring at the ceiling.

The small swordsman allowed his eyes to roam and settle on his boyfriend's face. He'd never assumed that someone so delicate looking could be for him. The man was beautiful really. It made sense that girls and other guys were always staring at the redhead when they went out. But Kurama ignored them. He ignored them in favor of being with Hiei.

"So why don't you love me?" Hiei asked suddenly.

Kurama's green eyes left the page of the book and darted down to meet Hiei's. "I don't _not_ love you." he responded.

"You just don't love me."

Kurama sighed. "It's not that simple. In my eyes there is not just love or the absence thereof. Love comes in degrees and it takes time to cultivate. I love Yusuke as a friend, but that is as far as we will get. What I could grow to feel for you would eclipse that by leaps and bounds."

"So you love the moron and not me."

"Hiei you are utterly ridiculous. What I am saying, in short, is that I care more for you than anyone I've ever been with. I will one day love you, and it will be a strong powerful love. However, it will take time. Does that satisfy you?"

Hiei leaned up and captured Kurama's lips in a kiss. "I suppose. _I_ still love _you_ though."

"And I am glad of that." the redhead replied. "I am surprised that you are being so vocal about it."

The swordsman shrugged. "Don't expect me to say it in public, or even very often after today. I'm ensuring that you know it now."

Kurama pouted. "What no loud declarations in front of my friends? I'm wounded."

"Feh." Hiei grunted. "You'll get over it."

"And there's the Hiei I know."

A comfortable silence returned to the room. Kurama continued to read, and Hiei closed his eyes. He turned over so that he was face down in the redhead's lap. He ran his hand down Kurama's jean clad leg, just taking comfort in the feel of him. All of this was confusing to the little swordsman.

He had never been in love before, and it unsettled him. He didn't feel like himself, but that was…_good?_ He hated being off kilter like this; he had never particularly liked himself, but he was comfortable with who he was. This was not something he was accustomed too. Still, he wouldn't have traded the feelings he had for his pretty redhead for anything. It was all very circular.

Without him thinking about it, Kurama's hand made it's way into Hiei's hair. His fingers threaded into the shock of hair. Hiei growled contentedly as the fingers massaged his scalp. The lack of sleep the night before was catching up to him, and he could feel his eyes drooping.

"Sleep." Kurama murmured without looking up from his book.

And Hiei did. He fell asleep right in his lover's lap. As he drifted off, he noticed that he felt weightless and more comfortable than he would have been anywhere else.

* * *

A/N: Jeez, that was melodramatic, wasn't it? I started this story to ease my craving to get into Kurama's head. But it turns out that I am spending more time in Hiei's than anything. He's always been so fascinating to me. From this point on, the little scowler will be some what OOC. My reasoning for this is that we never really got to see what Hiei in love was like in the anime. Plus a lot of his…grumpiness came from the fact that he was a demon trapped in the human world. Of course a good portion of it was due to his unhappy childhood. In my story, the more Hiei reveals to Kurama, the less grumpy he will get. Well, with Kurama anyway. That rant aside, the next chapter will get our duo back out into the world, as Yukina's wedding is coming up! It will most likely be the chapter after the next one. In the future we'll learn more about Kurama, and maybe one day, he'll figure out that he totally loves Hiei back.


	13. Preparations

Chapter 13: Preparations

Christmas came and went quickly. All in all it was fairly uneventful. Kurama went home to be with his mother, and step-family, while Hiei and Yukina had a small celebration of their own.

New Year's Eve was upon them, and Kurama was standing in the middle of Hiei's living room with his hands on his hips.

"Hiei, I'm not trying to trick you into going." he promised. Yusuke was throwing his annual New Year's Eve party that night, and both Hiei and Kurama were invited. Kurama felt that he had been pushing his luck with getting his boyfriend to attend parties, so he was leaving it up to him whether he went or not.

The little brunette was skeptical of his pretty redhead going to the party on his own. "I know that." he snapped. He sighed and leaned back against the couch, rubbing his temples. "Why is there always a party?"

Kurama shrugged. "Because my friends enjoy them."

"You are such a people pleaser." Hiei accused.

A scarlet eyebrow arched. "I didn't hear you complaining about that last night."

Hiei flushed. "Look, if you me to come to this party with you, then just ask."

"Hiei, I would very much like you to come with me. Kissing you at midnight is the only way I want to start my year. I am also willing to stay here with you and not go to the party."

Now it was Hiei's turn to raise a brow. "You'd miss the party?"

"If you were that opposed to it, yes. You've been practically forced into a lot of social situations lately, and I have been to enough of Yusuke's New Year's parties to know what will happen." Kurama replied.

"Are you sure you don't love me?"

Kurama sighed. His lover threw the 'L' word around more than he had ever expected him too. He shook his head. "Don't change the subject, Hiei. Are we going, or aren't we?"

"Fine. We'll go."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Kurama vowed. He walked over to the list of things to do that he had made for Hiei upon realizing that they shorter man was terrible at getting things done on time. "We should buy a bottle of champagne for the party." he said. "I'll add it to the list."

"Fine." Hiei was pouting a little; he couldn't deny it. He had been dating the redhead for around two months now. Granted, that was not a very long time, but he still felt like they had made more progress in those two months than some couples made in years. Hiei himself had changed a considerable amount in the time they had been together. As time went by, he found himself getting more and more comfortable saying goodbye to who he was. Now, all he needed was for Kurama to admit he loved him.

He knew that he did. Kurama was like him in more ways than even the gardener knew. They both tended to be rather closed mouthed about things that they felt, instead opting to show it with little gestures. Kurama was always holding his hand when they were out. When Hiei was off work and hanging out at the Wandering Rose, Kurama would always manage to tuck a flower into his hair or shirt pocket. There was a light in his emerald eyes that seemed to flare up whenever they were near each other. Hiei didn't know much about love, but it seemed to him that these were all signs of it. He found himself wondering if perhaps Kurama was a little afraid.

The object of his thoughts sat down next to him on the couch, turning his body so that his long willowy legs were in the swordsman's lap. "Yukina's wedding is coming up rather quickly." Kurama remarked. "How are you feeling about it?"

Hiei closed his eyes. "She's happy." was his reply.

"She is. I haven't known your sister for very long, but she definitely seems happy. Kuwabara is also happy. Happier than I have ever seen him."

"He'd just better be good to her." Hiei responded.

"You know he will be." Kurama said. "If you had any doubts of his intentions, you would have made a much bigger fuss about their engagement." They sat in silence for a moment, then, "My step family will be at the wedding in addition to my mother. Should I introduce you?"

"That's up to you. Your mother seemed to like me well enough."

Kurama nodded. "She was quite fond of you. My step father though, well, he doesn't know that I prefer the company of men."

"Well you're 28 years old." Hiei returned. "It's high time he found out."

* * *

Hiei and Kurama were sitting on the couch at Yusuke's. The party was in full swing, and both Yusuke and Kuwabara were already drunk. The latter was singing loudly and quite off key to some song on the karaoke machine. Hiei winced as the orange haired man went for a note that was so far out of his range he couldn't see it, and leaned in closer to Kurama.

"You owe me so big for this." he hissed.

Kurama shook his head with a smile. "Whatever you say, dear." He gaze strayed from the television where a program was counting down until midnight, and landed on an obviously tipsy Yukina who was making her way over to them.

"You two are so cute." she sighed as she managed to gracefully plop onto the couch. "I'm so glad he has you, Kurama."

Hiei narrowed his eyes at his sister. "Are you drunk, Yukina?" he demanded.

"Nooooo." the young woman said, giggling.

"Right. Have you ever been drunk before?"

"I haven't, but Kazuma gave me a glass of champagne, and Yusuke did two shots with me to celebrate the wedding being so close."

Kurama chuckled. "Then you are most assuredly drunk, Yukina."

"KURAMAAAAA!" Yusuke ran over to the three of them. "Will you sing karaoke with me?"

The redhead frowned. "No? I don't sing, Yusuke."

"What he means is, he won't sing while sober." Hiei chimed in.

"Oh hell yeah! That's even better. C'mon, Red, to the booze we go." The detective grabbed his friend's arm, pulling him up off the couch.

Kurama shot his lover an unfriendly look, but allowed himself to be towed away by Yusuke.

Hiei laughed and turned back to his sister who was staring at him with wide eyes. "What?"

"You laugh now. It's nice." she replied.

The small man averted his eyes. "I guess things just suck less now than they used to." When he looked back, Yukina seemed to be thinking something over. "There's something you want to say."

"Well, I just wonder what life would be like if things had been different. What if Miss Rui had decided that our mother should've kept you?"

"Trust me, that wouldn't have made that much of a difference."

Yukina furrowed her brow. "Hiei, I…I know that something happened to you while you were traveling. You seemed so much sadder, more angry at the world, when you came back."

"What's your point?"

"I guess that if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here. I know that you have Kurama now, you probably talk to him, but I'm still your sister, even if I'm getting married. You can tell me things."

Hiei sighed. "He doesn't know all of it. I told him enough so that he'd know what he was getting into before we got too close."

"You're a good person, Hiei, even if you think otherwise." The light haired girl wrapped her arms around her brother.

"Is there a reason why you're drunk tonight?" Hiei wanted to know.

Yukina blushed. "I wanted to ask you something and Kazuma said alcohol makes things less awkward."

"Did he now?" Hiei hissed sending a death glare in the orange haired man's direction.

"Be nice." Yukina scolded gently. "I wanted to ask if you would give me away at the wedding."

She and Kazuma had decided to have a more Western style wedding because the young woman wanted to wear the white dress. Yukina was going to ask Rui to give her away since the older woman had raised her. She had never assumed that Hiei would agree to do it since he hated public gatherings.

"You want me to do it instead of Rui?" Hiei asked.

Yukina nodded. "I wanted you in the first place, but I thought you'd say no. Kazuma suggested actually asking."

"Of course I'll do it."

"Thank you so much, Hiei!" Yukina hugged her brother again.

"Aww, you're so cute when you hug your twin!"

Hiei's head jerked up, and he stared incredulously at his red faced boyfriend. "Are _you _drunk?" he deadpanned.

Kurama giggled. "Maaaaaaybe."

"You're worse than _she _is." Hiei said, jerking his thumb at his sister. "I am not playing baby sitter for you two drunkards."

"Oh, Hiei, I'm almost thirty." Kurama slurred. "I don't need to be babysat."

"Right."

"Hey you guys, it's time for the countdown." Yusuke called. "Ten!"

"Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One! Happy New Year!"

The room erupted in cheers and cries of "Happy New Year!"

Kurama pulled Hiei up to him and sealed his lips with his own. They kissed deeply for the first five minutes of the new year. Soon the little brunette was as red faced as Kurama. He pulled away and cleared his throat.

Kurama laughed and wrapped his arm around his boyfriend. "Sing karaoke with me?" he asked with an adorable pout.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"Hiei." the redhead whined.

"And why should I embarrass myself?"

"Because you loooooove me!"

Hiei sighed. That much couldn't be denied. "Tell you what," he began. "When you can soberly say you love me back, I'll sing karaoke with you."

"Promise?"

"Sure. It's not like you'll remember this in the morning." As if to make sure of it, Hiei managed to get his pretty redhead to have three more shots as the party progressed.

Finally, he announced that they were going to leave before the sun came up. Hiei endured his drunken boyfriend's need to hug everyone goodbye, and then hauled him out of the apartment and down to his car. He was grateful for his strength training, because even though Kurama was slim, he was still several inches taller than him.

"Where we going, Hiei?" Kurama murmured as they headed into the cold night.

"I'm taking you home." was the reply.

"My home, or your home?"

"Does it matter?" Hiei wanted to know.

"Nope. As long as you're there."

* * *

A/N: Awww, I love drunk!Kurama. He makes me feel warm inside. I know I owe you guys big since there was no Friday or Sunday update. Tell me how to make it up to you?


	14. Kurama I

Chapter 14: Kurama I

Kurama Minamino was a precocious young man. He was the youngest person in his class because he had skipped two grades. All the girls loved him for his bright red hair and mysterious green eyes. All the boys, however, hated him. They thought that because he was quiet, the young man thought himself better than them. This was not so; the boy was simply shy.

Even though he was considered a prodigy in his town, the redhead spent a lot of time being confused. His mother, who he adored, had told him that his youth was a time for exploration. A time to figure out what exactly it was he wanted in life. But Kurama already knew what he wanted.

At thirteen he was already perusing college catalogs and being wooed with scholarships. He planned to major in botany so he could learn all about the plants that he loved. When he graduated, he wanted to get a job working in a garden store until he had enough money to open his own. More than anything, he wanted the girls in his ninth grade class to stop fawning over him. And he wanted the dark haired kid in his math class to pay just a tiny bit of attention to him.

He wanted the girls to leave him alone because even at thirteen, he knew that he had a preference for boys. Kurama knew that this wasn't something he should share with many people, which was easy enough since he kept to himself most of the time. He was sure that his mother wouldn't care, but he wasn't really ready to take that chance.

There was one day that the young man knew he would never forget. He made his way to his 3rd period math class with his head in the clouds. His mother had been feeling sick that morning, and though he had insisted on staying home and taking care of her, she had made him go to school. Kurama spent most of the day worrying about her, and knew this class would be no exception.

He slid into his seat and opened his book. A shadow fell over him, and it was a mark of how disoriented he was that it took him a moment to notice. When he finally looked up, he was astonished.

Yusuke Urameshi was standing over him with an unhappy look on his face. He was one of the most attractive young men that Kurama had ever seen, and he had always wanted to say something to him. More than that, he envied the teen's ability to speak his mind and do what he wanted.

"You just gonna stare at me all day?" the raven haired boy demanded. There was something unnerving about the emerald gaze.

Kurama shook his head. "I'm sorry. Is there something I can do for you?"

Yusuke looked at the floor. "You're uh…you're good at this Trig crap, right?"

The redhead blinked and nodded. "I'm proficient."

"Yeah well, I suck at it. I don't really give a fuck, but I need at least a B- to stay on the martial arts team."

"Yes, that is true…" Kurama was pretty sure he knew where it was going, but he wanted to hear the words.

Yusuke picked up on that and glared at him. "Will you help me or not?"

"Of course I will." Kurama said quickly.

The teenager quirked a smile at him. "Thanks." he tore a piece of paper out of the notebook he held and scribbled a phone number on it. "Can you call me when you know what time would be good?"

"Sure. No problem."

"Thanks." Yusuke said again. He checked the hall to make sure that the teacher wasn't coming, and then left the classroom.

Kurama blinked again. He wasn't sure how the rough young man expected to do better in the class if he didn't show up for it, but that was his own business. All he knew was that he was excited, and it was a somewhat foreign feeling for him.

* * *

The day ended quickly, and Kurama walked home in a fog. His hand kept returning to his pocket where he had placed the folded piece of paper with Yusuke's number on it. Would it be too much to call him tonight? Hell if he knew. He figured that Yusuke would want to get started as soon as possible since he was hardly ever in class. Was this something he could ask his mother?

A frown wrinkled the young man's forehead as he let himself into his house. Being confused was not something he enjoyed.

"Mother?" he called as he walked into the house. There was no response, but that wasn't out of the ordinary. Shiori Minamino was a force. Ever since her husband, Kurama's father, had passed away, she kept herself busy. Mr. Minamino had left them enough money that Shiori didn't need to work very much so she could be home for her son.

Kurama checked in the kitchen for his mother, but it was empty. He frowned a little harder and made his way upstairs. "Mother? I'm home."

Still nothing.

She wasn't in her room, or his, and Kurama was beginning to worry. He titled his head, thinking he heard the sink running in the bathroom.

He walked to the door and knocked. "Mother, are you in here? I need to ask you something." No answer. With a pounding heart, he banged on the door harder. "Mother?" When it was clear that there was not going to be a response, he pushed the door open.

A gasp left his throat as he took in the sight of his mother lying on the floor looking pale and breathing shallowly. His heart stopped for a moment, but then, true to his nature, he snapped into plan mode.

He sprinted down the stairs and snatched up the phone to call an ambulance.

"_What's your emergency?" _

"My mother is lying on the bathroom floor and she's not moving."

"_Is she breathing?" _

Kurama frowned. "Yes, of course. Shallowly, but she's breathing. She was sick this morning, but she thought it was just a cold."

"_Does she have a fever?" _

"She did this morning, but now she's clammy."

"_From your location, I can tell you it will be a while before an ambulance can get to you. It might be quicker to just driver your mother to the hospital." _

Kurama didn't even bother to reply to that. He hung up and bit his lip. He knew how to drive of course, but he was going to need help getting his mother down the stairs and into the car. Then there was the matter of him only being thirteen and not having a license. He needed help.

His hand went into his pocket almost involuntarily. Could he? For one of the first times in his life, Kurama did something rash.

He picked up the phone again and pulled the folded piece of paper out. He forced his fingers to dial the number and listened as it rang.

"_Yeah?" _a woman's voice barked.

"Good afternoon, may I speak to Yusuke please?" Kurama returned.

"_What am I, the boy's answering service?" _

"I…It's important that I speak to him, ma'am."

"_Fine. Hold on. BOY! PHONE!" _

Kurama flinched at the woman's tone. "Thank you." he murmured.

Yusuke came on the line a moment later. _"This you, Kuwabara?" _

"No…this is Kurama, from school?"

"_Oh yeah. What's up, Red? This about the tutoring?" _

"Actually, I…I need your help."

* * *

Ten minutes later, the raven haired kid showed up at the Minamino home. He was a little surprised that he had jumped at the occasion. He barely knew the ridiculously smart red haired boy, but when he had called needing help, Yusuke knew he had to be there. If there was anything he could say about himself, it was that he went with his gut feelings.

Yusuke knocked on the door, and not even five seconds later, it was flung open by the kid. There were traces of tears on his face.

"C'mon, let's do this." Yusuke said.

They went up to the bathroom and the older boy felt a rush of sympathy. He knew what it was like to come home to a passed out mother, but at least he knew that _his _mother brought it on herself.

He bent down and lifted Shiori into his arms. Yusuke was stronger than he looked due to the numerous fights he got into and the training he did for martial arts. The woman didn't weigh much and her skin was cool to the touch. "Let's not waste any time." he advised.

The two of them made their way to the car quickly, and Yusuke got the woman settled on the back seat.

"I can drive, but I don't have a license, so I don't know if I should." Kurama said quickly.

"Don't worry about it." Yusuke replied. "I got my license a while ago." He took the keys from Kurama and slid into the driver's seat. Once Kurama was in and buckled up, the raven haired young man peeled out of the driveway and down the street.

Kurama's eyes were wide they raced along. "Shouldn't you slow down?" he gasped.

"Nah, the rules can be broken in times of emergency. I think this counts." Yusuke turned sharply, and his passenger was glad for his seatbelt. "How's she doing?"

The redhead looked back to check. "As can be expected, I suppose." he responded.

"What happened?"

Kurama leaned his head back against the head rest. "I don't know exactly. She was feeling sick this morning, and she wouldn't let me stay home to care for her."

"So she didn't overdose on anything?" Yusuke asked.

"Of course not!" Kurama replied indignantly. "Why would you even ask that?"

The other boy shrugged. "It happens, trust me."

Kurama wasn't sure what to say to that, but he thought it explained a few things about how Mrs. Urameshi had sounded on the phone and how Yusuke acted.

He didn't have time to ponder that because they pulled up at the hospital just then. Everything seemed to go by in a blur for Kurama. Somehow the car was parked, they signed in, and Shiori was taken back to see a doctor.

Yusuke sat with the younger boy in the waiting room. He knew what it felt like to be waiting to see what was going to happen with a mother. Mrs. Minamino was probably a better parent than his own mother would ever be, but the feeling was probably much the same.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." he said aloud.

Kurama looked up, pinning Yusuke with that unnerving gaze of his. "Thank you." he whispered. "For everything."

The teenager shrugged. "You're gonna help me stay in martial arts, at least now you have some incentive other than the fact that I asked you."

"I would have done it anyway." Kurama assured him.

"I figured."

The evening stretched on, and finally a doctor came out to talk to them. "Your mother's going to be fine." he said. "It's good you got her here when you did, or it could have been much worse."

A wave of relief crashed over Kurama. "What's wrong with her?" he wanted to know.

"It looks like she's been running a fever all day. She was dehydrated and that-"

"Made the fever affect her more." Kurama finished. "She'll need fluids then. I assume you'll be keeping her overnight."

It wasn't a question, and the doctor stared down at the boy in front of him. He couldn't have been more than twelve or so, yet there he was talking as if he had medical training. "Yes." he answered slowly. "We will. Will you be able to get someone to pick her up tomorrow afternoon?"

Kurama glanced over at Yusuke who gave him a thumbs up. "It won't be a problem." he said. "What time?"

"Come around five." the doctor told him. He gave the boy another searching look and then headed back to his patient.

Kurama walked back to the chairs and sank down onto one in relief. "She's going to be okay." he whispered.

"Told ya." Yusuke said smugly. "Can we get out of here now? I'm starving."

The green eyed boy nodded. "I can make you dinner, if you'd like."

The other boy grinned. "Hell yeah. It's got be better than whatever slop my mom's putting on the table. If she's even sober enough to think about dinner."

Kurama lowered his eyes. "You're welcome at my house for dinner whenever you'd like." he murmured.

"You are so my new best friend."

The redhead blushed, and the two of them headed back to the car. He was naturally intuitive, and he knew that life would never be the same again.

* * *

A/N: A few people had asked to see some of Kurama's past, and now that we all know what happened to Hiei, I was only too happy to oblige. I have to admit that while Kurama and Hiei are my one true pairing, I do enjoy seeing my favorite redhead with Yusuke. So yeah, Kurama had a little crush on him as a teenager. That will be explored more, as well as Kurama's relationship with his stepfather. I've gotten a lot of requests and ideas for a Sunday chapter, but I don't know which one I'm going to do yet. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this glimpse into Kurama's past. I've noticed that reviews have slacked off a little over the last few chapters. I'm not complaining, I promise! One review is better than none. I just want to know if there is something I can do better to keep people reading and reviewing.


	15. Matrimony

**Chapter 15: Matrimony**

Hiei sighed. It was barely dawn, and he was awake. He had gotten up to use the bathroom and gotten a glimpse of the date on the digital clock on his night stand. No matter how many times he looked at it, it always said that it was Saturday January 16: the day of Yukina's wedding.

To make matters worse, Kurama wasn't even in the bed with him. Since he was in charge of the flowers for the whole thing, he'd slept at his own place so that he could get up early and walk down to the shop to get things ready.

It wasn't that he didn't want Yukina to get married. On the contrary, he was happy for her. Well, as happy as he could be, he supposed. But it seemed like he was going to lose the only family member he had.

The brunette groaned aloud and flopped back onto the bed. His phone rang then, startling him. Hiei rolled onto his stomach and snatched it from the nightstand, answering it without looking to see who it was.

"What?"

"_Good morning to you too, Hiei." _

Kurama. A disgustingly cheerful and amused Kurama. Before Hiei could reply to that, the redhead continued.

"_I knew you would be awake. Do you want to talk about it?" _

"Nothing to talk about." Hiei responded gruffly.

"_Mhmm. Hiei, I like to think I know you a bit better than that. Tell me." _

Hiei sighed again. "I don't know. Yukina's getting married. What if…" he trailed off.

"_She's not going to disappear, Hiei. She'll be in the same apartment she was in before she got married. You can still see her whenever you want to." _

"I know that. But she'll have Kuwabara now. She won't…need me."

"_Of course she will! You are her brother, Hiei. That is not something that is easily set aside. Yukina loves you, and you have a bond that is stronger than what she is about to do with Kuwabara."_

Hiei knew that of course, but it took someone else saying it to make him really see it. "I guess." he answered.

"_Well _I_ know. Besides, Yukina is not the only one who needs you. I missed you last night." _

"Yeah, me too." Hiei said. "Are you still coming over here to get dressed?"

"_Yes. I just have to go drop off the flowers at the banquet hall and I'll be there. You should try to get some more sleep. You do have a speech to give, you know." _

The little brunette rolled his eyes. "I know. See you in a bit." he paused and then added, "I love you."

"_I know." _

Hiei hung up the phone and let out a breath. He still marveled at the fact that Kurama's voice had become the most soothing thing in the world to him.

* * *

Kurama pulled up outside of the place where the wedding was going to be held. Kuronue was leaning against his car looking tired and grumpy.

"Why are we doing this again?" he demanded when Kurama had parked and walked over to him.

"_I'm_ doing it because Kuwabara is one of my oldest friends."

Kuronue smirked. "It probably also has something to do with the fact that he's marrying your boyfriend's sister."

Kurama shook his head. "I would have done it regardless. _You _are doing it because they are paying handsomely."

"Can't deny that." Kuronue said as he began helping his boss unload the flowers. "So is all this wedding stuff giving you ideas?"

"Ideas about what?" Kurama asked with a frown.

"Getting married yourself."

"Hiei and I have not been dating for that long, Kuronue."

The other man shrugged. "I know. But you guys are always together. I assumed that you two were all _in love _or something."

Kurama didn't reply to that so Kuronue kept going. "I mean I figured you'd pop over to America, find some state that allows men to marry other men and then come back here for the ceremony."

"Seems like you have it all figured out." Kurama said quietly. He made it sound so _easy. _But was it? He had no idea how Hiei felt about marriage in general, or if he saw their relationship progressing to that point.

But the redhead was practical. He wasn't going to let his doubts about the future ruin what was otherwise the best thing he'd ever had.

Kuronue seemed to take the hint, because he stopped asking uncomfortable questions, and the two of them got to work decorating the hall with flowers. Together they made quick work of the whole thing.

The tall dark haired man stood back to examine their work once they were done. "You know, Kurama, I really think you are doing what you were born to do." he said.

Kurama had to smile at that. "I am doing what I've always dreamed of doing. It feels good to be able to honestly say that I enjoy my job completely."

"I think Yukina will enjoy this completely too." Kuronue returned. "Now let's get out of here so I can go back to bed."

* * *

Hiei opened his eyes as he felt the bed moving. He blinked and then smiled as he felt familiar arms wrap around him. Warm lips pressed into his bare shoulder.

"I see you took my advice." Kurama whispered.

The shorter man grunted. "I usually do. The flowers?"

"Are artfully arranged. Botan picked up the bouquets yesterday, so everything has been taken care of. How are you feeling?"

Hiei shrugged. "It's going to happen whether I want it to or not."

"That's not what I asked, and you know it." Kurama chuckled.

The two of them were content to just lay in silence for a while. Hiei turned in his boyfriend's arms so they were facing each other. He reached up and tangled his fingers in the thick crimson locks. They fell asleep like that, smiles on both of their faces.

Three hours later, Hiei's alarm shrieked to life. The swordsman rolled over and reached out to slap the clock into silence. Kurama stretched and yawned. "Shall we get ready?" he asked.

Hiei pulled the other man closer and planted a kiss on his lips. "We should shower."

Kurama nodded. "I'll make breakfast if you want to shower first."

A smirk appeared on Hiei's face. "I said _we _should shower."

"Do we really have time for that?" Kurama replied with an arched brow.

"That will save time _and _water."

The redhead snorted. "I do have a hard time washing my upper back." he mused. "Not that you could reach it."

Hiei narrowed his eyes and chased his lover into the bathroom.

* * *

Yukina was not nervous. She had been waiting for this day eagerly since the orange haired man she loved had proposed to her. Her friends would be watching and standing with her, and her brother would be by her side.

The wedding party was going to be very small. Botan was the maid of honor and Keiko, Yusuke's girlfriend, was the bridesmaid. Kuwabara had chosen Yusuke as his best man, and Kurama was a groomsman. Yukina hadn't wanted anything extravagant. She had never needed anything flashy in her life.

The future bride was pulled from her reverie by the door to the room she was getting dressed in flinging open and Botan and Keiko coming in. They both looked beautiful in their dresses.

Yukina had chosen pale blue dresses for her bridesmaids. They were strapless and ended in full skirts. A darker blue band was tied around their waists and tied in a bow at the back. Both women looked lovely, but their eyes were all for Yukina.

The pale young woman was garbed in a silk dress in pristine white. It too was strapless, showing off Yukina's shoulders and upper back. The bodice was beaded with tiny seed pearls in the same color as the dresses of her attendants. The whole thing ended in a full skirt and a short train. She had opted against a veil, not wanting anything to obscure her view of the day. Her make-up was understated, just a little eyeliner to bring out the color of her eyes, and her odd turquoise hair was taken from it's usual ponytail and left down to fall around her shoulders in gentle waves.

"Oh, Yukina." Botan breathed. "You look simply beautiful!"

Keiko nodded in agreement. "Kuwabara won't know what hit him."

Yukina smiled at them. "Is it time yet?"

"Very nearly." Botan answered. "The last of the guests are coming in. Kurama really did a wonderful job with the flowers. The hall looks incredible. As does your bouquet."

Kurama had decorated the hall with white roses and blue hydrangeas. There were literally hundreds of the flowers in the space and more on the tables for the reception. The bridal bouquet was made up of more white roses and carnations that had been tinted blue. In a stroke of what he considered genius, Kurama had tucked a few violets in the bunch to remind the young woman of her brother's acceptance.

A knock on the door sent the girls into a tizzy of giggles, and Keiko pulled it open. Hiei stood on the other side, looking uncomfortable, but handsome, in his tuxedo. Kuwabara had chosen tuxes in navy blue silk with cream colored shirts under them. Hiei wasn't really a part of the wedding party, but his suit matched. His hair was still in the ebony shock it always was, and he had refused to remove his trademark white headband.

"You look great, Hiei." Keiko said warmly.

The brunette blushed a little. "Thanks." he muttered. His red eyes scanned the room for his sister, and when he saw her, his mouth dropped open. "Yukina." he whispered.

The young woman ducked her head and smiled. "Do you like it?" she asked timidly.

Hiei stepped into the room. "Does it matter?" he returned gruffly. "You're not marrying me."

"I know but…"

Her brother took her hand. "You're beautiful." he said. "I'm sure Mother would be proud if she could see you today."

Yukina's eyes filled with tears and she blinked rapidly to keep them from falling. "I'm so glad you agreed to do this." she said. "I know how you hate stuff like this."

Hiei shrugged and squeezed her hand. "But I love you, so it's okay."

"The doors are closing!" Botan squealed. "We need to get out there!"

She and Keiko headed out the door with Yukina and Hiei on their heels. The went down to the lobby and stood outside the door to the hall. Keiko was in front, and once the music started, she opened the door and stepped through. Botan was next, she took her slow even steps up to the front and stood next to Keiko.

The music changed then, and Yukina took a deep breath. She linked her arm through Hiei's and looked down to meet his eyes.

He gave her a reassuring nod. "I'm always here for you, you know that right?"

Yukina smiled. "Of course." Together the twins stepped into the hall. Everyone gasped at how lovely the bride looked. Near the front, Rui's eyes filled with tears to see Hiei with his sister.

Kurama let a small smile bloom on his face as well from where he stood with Yusuke and Kuwabara. He was so proud of Hiei for doing this.

Kuwabara's eyes were all for his wife to be. She was more beautiful that anything he had ever imagined.

Once they had made it to the front, Hiei slid his arm from his sister's. He hesitated, then leaned up to kiss her on the cheek. He caught the look of pride in Kurama's green gaze, and nodded to him as went to go sit next to Rui.

The ceremony was being performed by Genkai, the martial arts teacher at the high school Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama had attended. She had gotten ordained online after Kuwabara had approached her about it.

The now old woman cleared her throat and began in her raspy voice. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of Kazuma Kuwabara and Yukina Koori. Though these two stand before us now in love and joy, sometimes Kuwabara isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. So if anyone sees reason why these two should not be joined, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace."

There was silence in the room, and Kuwabara's eyes flickered to Hiei for a moment. The shorter man raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Genkai continued. "Marriage is not something to be taken lightly. You join yourself to another person in heart, body, and mind. And though many do, it is not something that should be set aside. Through this union, Kuwabara and Yukina are making a commitment to face each other's disappointments, embrace each other's dreams, and realize each other's hopes. They promise to share their lives together through mutual understanding, openness, and sensitivity to each other. Now, who gives this woman to this man?"

Hiei and Rui answered simultaneously. "We do."

Genkai nodded. "This relationship stands for love, loyalty, honesty, trust, and most of all, friendship. Before they knew love, they were friends, and from this seed of friendship that is their destiny. Do not think that you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, shall direct you."

Kurama blinked. _Love, if it finds you worthy, shall direct you. _Perhaps that was his problem. He was a person who never let things just happen to him. There was always a plan, and a backup plan, and a backup plan for the backup plan. He was always in control. He had always assumed that he would fall in love once he allowed it to happen. Once he was ready. But perhaps…perhaps it wasn't something that he could make happen.

His eyes sought Hiei's, and he realized that if he had to imagine being in love, that this is what it would feel like. It wasn't often that Kurama's world was rocked by revelation. But this was definitely one of those times. Shaking his head a little, he drew his attention back to Genkai.

"Do you, Kazuma Kuwabara take Yukina to be your wife? Will you love, honor, comfort, cherish, and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, poorer, better, or worse, in sadness and joy, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

Kuwabara nodded. "You better believe it."

Genkai turned to Yukina. "Do you, Yukina Koori take Kuwabara to be your husband? Will you love, honor, comfort, cherish, and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, poorer, better, or worse, in sadness and joy, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I will."

Genkai chuckled. "Let's hope you know what you're getting yourself into then. Give me the rings."

Yusuke took them from his pocket and handed them to the woman. "Here, you old hag." A few people in the audience gasped at the rudeness, but those who knew Genkai and Yusuke chuckled.

"Place the rings on each other's fingers and repeat after me: with this ring, I join myself to you."

The couple obeyed, both openly crying now. Then they turned back to Genkai.

The old woman gave one of her rare smiles. "May you always share the gifts of love and be one in heart and mind. Hopefully Yukina's mind. By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. Kiss her already."

Kuwabara did not have to be told twice. He captured his new wife's lips in a back bending kiss and the hall erupted in cheers and catcalls.

The next hour or so was a blur of hugs and pictures, before everyone made their way to the room set aside for the reception.

Even though he wasn't a part of the official wedding party, Hiei found himself seated next to Kurama at the head table. The food had been prepared by Touya, another friend of Yukina's from college, and it was quite good.

Once it appeared that everyone had had time to eat, Yusuke stood up and tapped his glass for attention.

"Alright, guys, it's time for speeches." he said. "I'll go first. This muscle head's been a pain in my ass for going on twenty years now. He's been everything from an enemy, to a sparring partner, to a teammate, to a best friend to me, and I for one could not be happier that he is finally in someone else's hair for a change." Everyone laughed at that. "Seriously though, Kuwabara, you're a good man. You've been there for me when I least deserved it, and I'll never forget that. I wish you and Yukina all the luck in the world, man. She's a wonderful woman, and you deserve her. Not sure what she did to deserve you though." Yusuke lifted his glass and then sat back down.

Kurama stood up next. "I too have known Kuwabara for quite some time. One of the things that drew me to him was his never ending loyalty. Once Kazuma Kuwabara dubbed you a friend, there was nothing you could do to make him betray you. I didn't have many friends as a young person, so I valued him." He turned to the orange haired man. "Kuwabara, I know that with you by her side, Yukina will live a happy life. The two of you are well matched in every way, and I wish you both a life time of happiness." He too toasted the couple and then sat down.

Botan and Kuwabara's sister Shizuru both made toasts after that and finally it was Hiei's turn.

The little swordsman stood up and took a breath. "I am not one for speeches or even weddings really." he began. "But Yukina is my sister, and the last blood relative I have alive on this earth. She means everything to me, and now she's married. Yukina, I am so proud of you. You had more than I did, but it still wasn't much, and yet you never lost yourself in grief or bitterness. You are one of the purest people I have ever known, and I love you." He paused and met Kuwabara's eyes. "She's a gentle creature, as I am sure you know, and if I didn't think you loved her with all of your person, I would have killed you before she got too attached. Look out for her. Make her laugh. Don't let her live inside her head too much. Give her a life that she can look back on and smile about. That's all I ask." Hiei sat back down, and Kurama took his hand and squeezed it.

Kuwabara cleared his throat. "I will. Thank you all so much, but that's enough mush. Let's dance!"

He led Yukina out on the floor and they danced their first dance as husband and wife to the song Dearest. Soon many other people made their way onto the floor.

Kurama danced with Botan and Keiko at their request and was introduced to Rui by Yukina. His mother had been the only one of the family to attend the wedding, and she claimed a dance for herself.

Finally the redhead sought his boyfriend who was having a conversation with Touya who also worked at the dojo in addition to being a caterer. He held his hand out to the shorter man with a smile. "Dance with me?" he asked.

Hiei looked up warily. He hated dancing. But he found himself not being able to resist the look in Kurama's eyes. So he placed his hand in his boyfriend's and allowed himself to be led onto the dance floor.

Another slow song was playing, and Hiei smiled as Kurama wrapped his arms around him. The two began to move together to the music.

"Your speech was wonderful, Hiei." Kurama murmured.

The shorter man grunted and laid his head on Kurama's shoulder. "I hate things like this." he said back.

"Everyone knows that." the redhead replied. "But I am still proud of you."

"Do I get a reward?"

Kurama laughed. "I suppose so. I'll have to see what I can come up with." They danced in silence for a while, content to just hold each other. Then, "Hiei?" Kurama asked. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"When did you realize you loved me?"

Hiei lifted his head and searched the redhead's face for some hint as to why he was asking such a thing. But Kurama was almost as good at hiding his emotions as he was. Finally Hiei shrugged and answered. "It was after we had sex for the first time."

"And what made you figure it out then?"

Hiei sighed. "I've had sex before, and usually after I want nothing more than to leave. But…with you, I wanted to stay. I felt like I didn't deserve you, but I wanted to stay anyway."

Kurama nodded. "I was just curious." he said.

"Hiei!" Yukina called then. "Dance with me!"

The brunette sighed. "See what you've started." he muttered. He kissed Kurama once on the lips and threaded his way through the crowd to his sister.

Kurama watched him go. "I love you." he whispered. A smile curved across his lips as he tested the words out and knew they were true.

* * *

A/N: Yikes! This was a doozy of a chapter to write. I spent a lot of time looking at pictures of the characters and looking up stuff about weddings. I'm pretty pleased with the result overall though. If you're curious, Yukina and Kuwabara's wedding song is the third ending for the anime Inuyasha. Youtube it if you are so inclined.


	16. Dropping all of the Shields

Chapter 16: Dropping all the Shields

Hiei knew that Kurama held back from him. That there was something in the redhead's fundamental makeup that made him hide things. He was always calculating his next move, Hiei could see it in the green gaze.

The wedding reception was obviously going to go on late into the night from the looks of it. Hiei's red eyes scanned the crowd, and saw Kurama dancing with Yukina. They were both laughing, probably talking about him. He decided to use this time to do something useful.

He went looking for Yusuke, hoping that the detective was in the mood to talk.

Yusuke was sitting down in a chair drinking a glass of water. Hiei raised an eyebrow. "Water, detective?" he asked.

The other man shrugged. "Keiko said I wasn't allowed to get drunk tonight, or else. You probably have never experienced this, but women are scary. We can't all date softies like Kurama."

Hiei dropped into a chair at the table. "I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Does Kurama ever stop hiding?"

That caught Yusuke off guard. "He's not hiding exactly." he answered slowly. "It's more like he's…waiting."

"For what?"

"Maybe waiting's the wrong word. Kurama bides his time. He looks for opportunities. He's a master planner and a fucking genius. Always has been. I guess I can see what you mean about the hiding though. It takes a lot for him to give all of himself over to another person. I think the most open I ever see him is with you."

Hiei didn't really know what to say to that, so he moved on. "Nothing ever seems to shake him. I told him some bad things I did in my past, and he just accepted them and moved on."

Yusuke nodded. "Sounds like him. It takes a lot to scare Kurama away. He spent too much time alone as a kid and values all the people he has with him now. Don't tell him I told you this, but even though he seems all shiny and pristine, he's been through some shit. Stuff he doesn't really talk about. Kuwabara and I only know some of it because we had to help him a couple times."

"Only a couple?" Hiei inquired.

Yusuke nodded again. "After a while, he could handle it on his own."

Keiko came over just then. "Hey, you two." she said. "Hiei, your toast was really great. Yusuke, come dance with me."

The detective got to his feet with a groan. "Let him tell you the rest." he said to Hiei. "I'm sure he's repressed it all, but talking might do him some good."

Hiei watched the other man head onto the dance floor with his girlfriend, then turned when he felt someone coming up behind him. It was Kurama who smiled and slipped his hand into Hiei's.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Hn." Hiei replied.

"My place or yours?" Kurama wanted to know.

"Yours. I told Yukina she could drop off some of her wedding gifts at my house until they get back from the honeymoon."

"Aww. That was nice of you, you big old softy."

"Shut up."

* * *

They had decided that were both too tired for more bathroom shenanigans, so they took separate showers. Kurama was brushing out his hair, and debating the benefits of telling Hiei about his revelation.

The stoic man had taken a leap and said the words first which seemed extremely out of character for him. That alone let Kurama know that Hiei did seriously love him. That and the fact that he still said it, even though the redhead had yet to say it back.

Kurama now knew that he did love the other man. It felt so natural to share his home with Hiei, to be doing something as mundane as taking care of his hair while his boyfriend was in the shower. When he had to sleep alone, the bed felt wrong and empty, colder than it used to. Yeah, he loved him. But how to say it?

He had never told anyone this, but the reason he broke up with Yomi was because he felt like he had no control in the relationship. Yomi would stay out all night with other people, and no matter how many times Kurama tried to get him to do otherwise, nothing changed. So he'd ended it.

But Hiei was not the type who could be controlled. He was just as headstrong as Kurama himself, and seemed to have just as many secrets. The truth of the matter was that Hiei had gotten closer to him than anyone before. Kurama was intimate with him time and time again and didn't run like he usually did. That had to mean something. Maybe it meant that it was okay to let some of his famous control slip. Hiei certainly did him the courtesy of mellowing when he was with Kurama; perhaps it was time to return the favor.

The redhead was jarred from his thoughts by the sound of the bathroom door opening, and Hiei entering the bedroom. He was wearing a pair of boxers and nothing else.

Kurama met his eyes in the mirror and smiled. "How tired are you exactly?" he wanted to know.

Hiei shrugged. "Pretty tired."

"Too tired to talk?"

The smaller man tilted his head. "About what?"

Kurama took a deep breath. "I owe you an apology and perhaps and explanation."

That caught Hiei's attention. "Okay."

Hiei got into the bed and watched his lover set the brush down and join him. Once they were both comfortable, Hiei reached for Kurama, only to have him move away.

"Your touch clouds my judgment." the redhead admitted. "I need to have a clear head for this."

The brunette frowned, but scooted father away from him. "So talk." he said.

A full five minutes went by while Kurama tried to organize his thoughts. Then he realized that that was just another way of him trying to seize control of the situation, so he just started.

"When I was younger, I got bullied a lot." he began. "I was younger than the other kids, smaller." he chuckled. "And I looked a bit like a girl. The actual girls in my grade loved me. But most of the boys wanted me gone. When I was thirteen, I befriended Yusuke, and through him, Kuwabara. For the first time I had friends who weren't just using me to help them pass their classes, though I did spend a fair amount of time helping those two with their homework. As I'm sure you can imagine, Yusuke and Kuwabara were well known for their penchant for…violence. That took some of the heat off of me for a while."

"Are you trying to tell me that you're in love with one of those idiots?" Hiei asked, only half kidding.

Kurama chuckled again. "Hardly. I actually have no idea where I am going with this, but let me continue. As I said, some of the heat was taken off of me, but not all. There was one student in particular who hated me. His name was Kaitou. He was a bully, but he was also very smart. I still beat him in every exam though, and it made him furious. So he started taunting me, calling me names and telling me that Yusuke and Kuwabara didn't really want a weakling for a friend, they just wanted to pass their classes. Having never had friends before, I couldn't say if this were true or not. Kaitou started beating me up regularly. He said that every time I got a higher grade than he did, he was going to make me suffer."

"So you let your grades drop?"

The redhead laughed bitterly. "Certainly not. I am a proud, opportunistic creature by nature, Hiei. If I was going to get into the school I wanted to go to with a full scholarship, I couldn't afford to give in. So I took the beatings. Eventually, Yusuke noticed something was up. He saw the bruises on me. At first he thought that my mother's new boyfriend was the one responsible, but I assured him that was not the case. Finally, he and Kuwabara followed me after school and saw Kaitou kicking me in the stomach. They intervened and patched me up. After that, they introduced me to Genkai who trained me to be able to fight for myself.

"I suppose the point in telling you all this, other than full disclosure, is that from that moment on, I vowed that I would never lose control of a situation. I would always be three steps ahead, never letting anyone get the better of me. And it worked, until I met you."

"What did I do?" Hiei demanded.

"Nothing. And yet everything." Kurama responded. "But never what I expected. I can usually put most people I encounter into a neat little box and deal with them accordingly. You, however, seemed to fit nowhere. But I was still convinced that I had the upper hand. When you said you loved me though…I hadn't planned for that. Not then. It was unexpected, and to be honest I was a little scared. How could we be together if you were constantly catching me off guard? When I couldn't plan ahead for how to interact with you? Today I realized something though. I realized that at some point I stopped calculating _how_ to be with you and just started _being_ with you. I threw my shields back up then, and retreated from the idea of loving you. Love isn't something I can control. Genaki's words today made me see that. Make no mistake that I _am _in love with you, Hiei. And as of this moment, I am done hiding from it."

Once the words had left his lips, Kurama felt lighter, more free. He didn't have to spend time figuring out what needed to come next; he could just let it happen.

The silence stretched on for a bit as Hiei digested what he was just told. "I was raped." he said suddenly. "That's the only word for it. While I was traveling, this bastard named Karasu took advantage of me. He drugged me, blackmailed me, and used me for his pleasure. In the end, I killed him. I didn't know what else to do. I've never regretted it, and I've never told anyone else."

"Oh, Hiei." Kurama whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Hiei shrugged. "Everyone always wonders why I'm so closed off. Well that's why. For years after, I never trusted anyone. Anyone I let close to me could be another Karasu just waiting to hurt me. I withdrew from my sister, because I knew she could sense that something was wrong, and I couldn't tell her what it was. Do you know why I slept with you that first night?"

Kurama shook his head.

"Because it had been years since I had been touched by another person. I hid from all of them. When I saw you at the Wandering Rose, I could see in your eyes that you were hiding too. I saw you as an opportunity. I could touch and be touched by someone who was as well versed in avoidance as I was and then get on with my life. You were the first person since Karasu that I had been with. I think that asshole had me conditioned to expect sex to be rough and hard all the time. But you were so soft and gentle. You were shielded like me, but you were so…beautiful. I knew I had to keep you. All my life, I had never gotten anything that I wanted without having to fight or kill for it. But I wanted you, and there you were. Time went by, and you were still there. And I was still there. I thought that after we got closer I would run, afraid of what you might do to me. But I was never afraid. That's when I knew I loved you."

Kurama was stunned. That was the most Hiei had ever spoken to him at one time. He could feel the energy of this moment. Both of them were laid bare before the other. Each admitting their own faults and troubled pasts, knowing that the other might balk, might not be able to deal and would leave. Hoping they wouldn't.

Deciding that it was his turn to take a leap, Kurama pulled the smaller man into his arms. "I'm sorry." he whispered. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I love you, Hiei. I love you."

The dam broke for Hiei then, and he let himself sob quietly into Kurama's chest. Not once since he had killed the man so long ago, had Hiei let himself grieve for the loss of his innocence. Karasu had turned him into something twisted and ugly in his mind, but Kurama, like the skilled gardener that he was, had trimmed all that back, letting the new growth come through.

He cried until he was empty, and the whole time Kurama's arms were around him. His soft voice whispering soothing promises, until finally he was done.

"I love you." Hiei said.

"I love you too."

It was perfect. Call and response. In that moment, Hiei realized how much he had been wanting to hear it said back. "Don't you dare tell anyone about this." he said.

Kurama laughed then. And it was a true laugh. "I wouldn't dream of it." he kissed the other man on the head. "Do you really think I'm beautiful?"

Hiei reached up and grabbed a handful of Kurama's hair. He pulled, bringing the redhead closer to him, and causing him to cry out. "You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." he whispered harshly. He kissed him hard, enjoying the whimpering noises that his boyfriend was making.

When they came up for air, Kurama's cheeks were red. "This is going to change everything, isn't it?" he asked.

Hiei yawned. "Probably. You gonna hide from it?"

"I won't if you won't." Kurama replied, snuggling closer to the man he loved.

* * *

A/N: I think I got a little too emotional with this chapter. Hiei is WAY out of character for a good bit of it, but it had to be done. This chapter is dedicated to a lot of people. Shoelace83 wanted to see a scene where Hiei calls Kurama beautiful, adalleria wanted to see a romantic scene between the two of them and more about Kurama's reluctance to say the L word, KyoHana and themusicalmuffin wanted to know more about Kurama's past. I decided to combine all of these things into this chapter to keep the story moving. Hope you enjoyed it! Also, even though I am in love with human!Hiei and Kurama, I still am enamored with their demon selves. So from time to time I'll be posting oneshots about them. I posted one last night. It's called Mirror. I'd be very grateful if some of you would read it and let me know what you think.


	17. Watching

Chapter 17: Watching

Being in love with someone you considered a lover was a completely new experience for Kurama. Truthfully, he had never been in love, so everything was new. But he adored learning, so he considered it a win-win situation. He said as much to Yusuke over lunch.

"_Hiei _loves _you_!" the raven haired detective asked incredulously.

Kurama frowned. "I think I'm offended."

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "It's not that. It's not you." he said. "I'm just surprised the shrimp would admit it. We are talking about the same Hiei, right? Tiny, red eyes, looks like an emo kid?"

"Did you think we were just having a fling, Yusuke?" Kurama wanted to know.

"I guess not. You aren't really the type to do that."

"Neither is Hiei."

"So you love him, and he loves you." Yusuke sat back in his chair. "Well, congratulations then. I just have one question."

Kurama raised an eyebrow, and the other man knew him well enough to take that as a signal to continue.

"Who's on top?"

An emerald glare was his only answer.

"I guess I could just ask Hiei." the detective continued.

"You could." Kurama agreed. "But he'd more than likely try to kill you, and I do occasionally enjoy having you around, so I wouldn't recommend it."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Kurama found himself driving in the direction of the dojo where Hiei worked. He had been tending to the plants at the Wandering Rose when he realized that though Hiei spent many of his days off hanging out at the shop, Kurama had never been to see Hiei while he was working.

He knew that this one was this one of the days when the smaller man had to work late, so he plugged the address into his GPS and drove out there.

The first thing he saw when he entered the dojo was Hiei in the middle of a ring with his sword in his hand. Across from him was Touya who had catered Yukina's wedding. He had adopted a defensive stance and was watching Hiei with narrowed eyes.

So fast that Kurama almost didn't see it, Hiei rushed forward. Touya barely managed to get his own sword up in time to deflect the blow. He was taller than Hiei by about only three inches, but even that could be worked to his advantage, as the pale haired man proved by bearing down on the smaller man until he broke away.

They circled each other, and then Hiei went in again. This time faster. He slashed and ducked Touya swings, executing a perfect back flip to get himself out of range. With determination glittering in his eyes, he waited, this time letting his opponent be on the offensive.

It didn't do much good, for every blow Touya tried to land on him was expertly parried and blocked.

This back and forth continued, and Kurama realized it was for the benefit of the cluster of wide eyed teenagers that were at the edge of the ring.

"Kita." Hiei asked as he deftly clashed his sword with Touya's. "What do you do when your opponent seems to have no unguarded points?"

A tall girl in the back cringed, but thought about it. "You make one." she replied.

"Exactly." Hiei used his lack of height to _his _advantage. He ducked down and used his foot to sweep Touya legs out from under him. As the other man tried to regain his balance, Hiei hooked his sword around Touya's, yanking it from his hand. He flipped the blade into the air, then caught it.

The pale haired man gave the shorter man a wry grin and bowed. "Usually once you are weaponless the match is over." he remarked. "Unless you are very skilled at hand to hand combat, you are not going to beat an opponent with two weapons."

"In real life though, you won't always have the option of conceding." Hiei added. "In that case, you want to keep fighting. Chances are the person who took your weapon is not going to be skilled enough to use both of them. If you can get it back, then you'll be back on equal footing."

Mukuro pushed off from the wall that she had been leaning against and walked to the middle of the room. "Alright, that's all for today. Hit the showers." The students dispersed, and the woman looked over at Kurama. "Enjoy the show?" she asked.

"Your employees are very impressive." the redhead replied. He wasn't sure how he felt about this woman yet. She had told him that she wanted what was his, and for all he was usually a nice guy, Kurama had a possessive streak.

"They wouldn't be mine if they weren't. I tolerate nothing less than the best." Mukuro returned. She looked at Hiei and Touya. "Good job, you two. Hiei, clock out before you go into La La Lover Land please. I don't pay for that."

The dark haired man rolled his eyes and walked over to Kurama. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Kurama shrugged. "I realized that while you had seen me prune many a rosebush, I had never seen you at work. Curiosity won out."

Hiei snorted and rolled his eyes. "You know what they say about curiosity." he said. He motioned for his boyfriend to follow him back to the employee locker rooms.

A smirk brightened Kurama's face. "Ah, but there is nothing remotely feline about me, Hiei."

The swordsman shook his head and changed out of his uniform quickly. "Are we doing anything tonight?" he asked as he pulled a black t-shirt over his head.

Kurama shrugged elegantly. "There are no plans. Though I _should_ take you shopping. There are other colors in the spectrum besides black, you know. And why do you ask? Is there something you want to do?"

Hiei was quiet for a moment as he gathered his things.

"Hiei?"

"No. Never mind." he said finally. "I rode my bike here, so I should take it home."

Kurama nodded, a little confused. "Of course. I need to go to my apartment anyway. I'll see you…" he trailed off, leaving the blank for Hiei to fill. But the shorter man just nodded distractedly.

He kissed Kurama on the lips and watched him leave. He knew that the redhead loved him. There was something in this green eyes that said it now. And he did have something he wanted to do. He was just…scared. Which was stupid because what more did he really have to hide?

Knowing that if he tried, he could get to the redhead's apartment before he did, Hiei hurried out.

* * *

Kurama drove to his apartment slowly. He knew that Hiei was hiding something from him. As much as he wanted to call him on it, he knew that it would be slightly hypocritical.

He pulled into his parking space and was surprised to see Hiei next to it on his motorcycle.

The redhead turned off his car and got out. He leaned against the side of his Toyota and leveled a stare at his boyfriend.

Hiei fidgeted, then growled at himself and stopped. "Hi." he said cautiously.

"Hello."

"I lied earlier."

Kurama just raised an eyebrow, letting him know that he was well aware of that.

"I met your mother." Hiei tried again.

"You did."

"She…liked me?"

"She did." Kurama replied with a frown. "You can just say whatever it is, Hiei."

"My mother can't like you."

That caught the gardener off guard. He assumed from her absence at Yukina's wedding, that Hiei's mother was either dead or being shunned. Considering the life that her son had been forced to lead, he privately hoped it was the former.

"Hiei…"

The shorter man shook his head. "I want you to meet her."

"She's alive then?"

Another shake of the head. "No. But…there's a place. Where she was buried. I go there sometimes and I thought…" Hiei trailed off.

Kurama pushed away from the car and offered his hand to the other man. "Of course I will." he replied to the unasked request. "That's what you wanted to do tonight?"

"Or some other night." Hiei said quickly. "Whenever. She's not going anywhere."

"Let's go inside then. I'm cold." Kurama pulled his boyfriend from the motorcycle and together they went up to his apartment. Even though he knew what had to have been the worst parts of Hiei's life, he wasn't exactly sure of what all had gone on his childhood. From what he could gather, Yukina was raised by Rui, and Hiei had been raised by the foster care system. It didn't sound like their mother had died in childbirth, but then why didn't she raise her children? Kurama worked to push down the inclination to ask.

He busied himself making a pot of tea while Hiei went into the bedroom to stare out the window. It was what he did when he was feeling distressed. Kurama followed him in after a while.

"Talk to me." he said.

"I didn't want you to come with me, at first." Hiei replied automatically. "You have a mother who loves you and accepts you. I didn't think you could understand."

"Abandonment?" Kurama asked softly, hedging a guess.

"No. Why I…why I care for her in spite of it."

Ah. That made sense. "It's true." Kurama responded. "I have a hard time understanding why people do things when there is no direct benefit. Selflessness does not come naturally to me. But I have a bit of a soft spot for mothers. Also, what you feel for yours is none of my business, Hiei. If you want me to come with you to see her, I will. If not, then I won't."

"And you won't be angry?"

The redhead chuckled. "You've never seen me truly angry, have you? No. I won't be angry."

Hiei nodded. "I want you to come."

"Then I will. Tonight?"

"No." the shorter man said. "Maybe this weekend? There are other things I would show you while we're there."

Kurama smiled and pulled his lover to him. "Sounds perfect." he said.

Hiei tensed in the hug, and then relaxed, like he always did, and now Kurama wondered if it was because he was never hugged as a child. "I love you." he reminded him.

The little brunette smiled. "Yes, I know."

Kurama laughed. "So it seems that we're back to me making all the mushy statements."

Hiei shrugged. "I've already said it more times that you have."

"Well then I must do something to tip the scales back in my favor. In addition to being a curious thing, I also hate to lose." With that he bore Hiei down to the bed single minded in his goal until the whistling of the kettle broke them apart. And really, it was only the displeasure he would feel if his apartment burned down, that spurred Kurama to move. Otherwise, he was quite content.

* * *

A/N: I was looking back over the previous chapters, and I realized there's been a lot of serious stuff going on lately. I promise that the next chapter will be lighter, some good old H/K fluff. On another note, I've been watching a lot of the anime lately in an attempt to ensure that even though this story is a divergence, everyone remains in character. I had almost forgotten how much I love that show. That brings me to my next point. I mentioned last chapter that I had written a one shot called Mirror to scratch my itch to have our favorite duo be as they were intended. I posted another one called Illusion, and you can probably expect one a week from me for a while. I'm heading back to school in a couple weeks, so the updating schedule is probably going to change and be less frequent. I'm sorry, but it's going to be hard to juggle everything. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially those who manage to get every chapter! You guys are amazing.


	18. Bargaining

Chapter 18: Bargaining

Kurama sat in his customary position on Hiei's bed, back straight, legs folded, and watched as his boyfriend got dressed. His head was tilted to the side, as he waited for something.

Hiei could tell he was waiting. There was something about the redhead's expression that made him pretty sure that once whatever Kurama was anticipating was confirmed, it would turn out fairly badly for him. So he slid his closet door open minutely and reached inside.

"I'm surprised you hang all of your clothes." Kurama said suddenly.

Hiei looked back in surprise and glared. "What, you thought they would be all over the floor? Just because I don't spend an hour brushing my hair to a 'lustrous sheen' doesn't mean I don't have pride in my appearance."

The redhead grinned. "I do _not_ spend an hour on my hair, Hiei, though I am glad you noticed the shine. And I never said you didn't have pride. You always just struck me as a folded clothes in the dresser kind of guy."

Hiei turned back around and muttered something under his breath.

"I didn't quite catch that." Kurama said.

"Yukina suggested this." the little brunette enunciated. "I have no patience for ironing, so this keeps the clothes from getting too wrinkled." he pushed the closet door open wider. "See?"

Alert green eyes scanned the contents of Hiei's closet, and unfortunately for him, Hiei missed the flare of triumph that lit them. "I do see." Kurama said slowly. "Hiei…remember Yusuke's New Years Eve party?"

The other man frowned. "Yeah. You got smashed, and I had to drag your heavy ass home. What about it?"

Kurama shot him a half hearted glare. "I'll pretend you didn't just say that, shorty." he replied, allowing a smile to assure Hiei he was teasing. "You made me a promise that night."

Hiei cringed. "I did?"

"You did. I'm willing to bet that you thought I had forgotten, or that I would be too drunk to remember. I have an impeccable memory, though, even in the face of alcohol."

"Is there anything about you that is not impeccable?" Hiei snapped.

Kurama just smiled serenely. "I'll take that as a compliment. Now, as I recall, you promised to sing karaoke with me if I could soberly tell you that I loved you. Since then, I think I have said it no less than four times. I believe the conclusion is obvious."

"Kurama." the swordsman began.

The redhead waved a hand, cutting him off. "I know that you would probably rather be stabbed repeatedly by Touya than sing in public, so I propose a deal."

"A deal?"

Kurama nodded, and Hiei was worried. It was rare that his boyfriend allowed himself to get anything less than what he wanted. But it seemed that he was taking the discomfort of the man he loved into consideration. What Hiei couldn't decide was if this was all just a ploy to get him to do something else, or if Kurama was being genuine.

"What is it then?" Hiei asked.

There was that flare of triumph again. "I will consider your promise fulfilled if you let me take you shopping."

Yep, definitely a ploy. "I don't need to go shopping, Kurama." Hiei tried.

The gardener scoffed. "The hell you don't." He slid gracefully off the bed and walked to the open closet. He began flicking through the clothes. "Black shit, black shirt, black shirt, white shirt, black shirt, black shirt, gray shirt, _faded _black shirt, black shirt, black shirt. _Red _shirt, let's hear it for variety. Black shirt, black shirt, black shirt, black shirt, black shirt, and work uniforms. I think this speaks for itself, Hiei."

"So? I like black."

Kurama rolled his eyes. "No one _likes _black, Hiei. They default to it. Black is a color that is meant to make some statement."

"Don't all colors do that?" Hiei asked, confused.

"In a way." Kurama allowed. "I suppose what I mean is that black makes an anti-statement. It allows people's eyes to slide over you. Black is for hiding."

"I'm not hiding."

"Maybe not purposefully. But a wardrobe like this ensures that you will never be noticed."

Hiei shrugged. "_You_ noticed me."

"Yes, well. I have an eye." Kurama said with a smile. He sighed. "Hiei, please don't think I am trying to change you. I love you just the way you are, black clothes and all. I just…" he stopped and sighed again. "Well to be honest, I'm just bored, and I like shopping. But…I also want you to feel good about yourself. The clothes make the man and all that."

The shorter man stared up at his boyfriend. "Wow, this is the only time I've ever heard you sound so stereotypically gay."

"Hiiieiii." Kurama whined.

The raven haired man closed his eyes. "Okay." he said. "For you. But I'm only buying one shirt."

"Three." The redhead bargained.

"One."

"Two."

"Fine. Two." Hiei agreed. "And nothing too bright." He eyed the fall of scarlet hair. "You've got that covered enough for the both of us."

* * *

Kurama pulled into a parking space at the local mall and turned his car off. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Hiei who was glowering at the whole building. "You are aware that you are well within your rights to refuse to do this, right?" he said.

Hiei nodded. "I know." he opened his car door and got out. "Let's just get this over with, okay?"

The redhead locked the car and led the way into the mall with a small smile on his face. He gave Hiei a once over, quickly determining size. "Where should we start?" he asked.

Hiei shrugged. "Isn't that why you're here?"

"No, I'm here to make sure you actually buy something." Kurama corrected. "Where do you usually get your clothes?"

"At Seiyu?" the other man admitted.

Kurama flinched. "You should be so grateful for me." he said. "Come on. Let's start upstairs."

Hiei dutifully followed the redhead to the escalator and into the first store. Kurama wasted no time diving into the racks. He seemed to have a method to his madness, and Hiei soon realized that he wasn't going to have to do much work on this trip, so he relaxed.

Kurama would select a shirt, look it over with a critical eye, hold it up to Hiei, and then either replace it, or sling it over his arm.

Gratefully, the ones he rejected greatly outnumbered the ones that were added to the pile over his arm. Kurama also seemed to be obeying the color rule as well. After about half an hour, the redhead pushed the pile at Hiei.

"Try these on." he said.

The shorter man grimaced, but headed back to the dressing rooms. "I'm not doing that stupid thing where you come out wearing every different outfit." he warned. "I'll pick the ones I like."

Kurama laughed. "I figured as much." he sat down in the conveniently placed chair as Hiei disappeared behind the curtain. Without even moving, he picked out a few things that he wanted to get for himself while he waited.

Hiei emerged a few minutes later wearing a light blue long sleeved shirt. It fit well, not too tight, but tight enough to show off the definition in the dark haired man's folded arms.

"Well?" he asked curtly.

The redhead nodded. "Good choice. Did none of the others work?"

"One other." he said. "Which I believe puts me at my limit."

"It does indeed." Kurama replied. "I'm going to get a couple things for myself. Just leave the stuff you don't want in there, and I'll meet you at the door once we've paid."

Kurama gathered a yellow short sleeved button down shirt, a black vest, and a cream colored jacket in a smooth buttery leather and headed to the register. He was just in time to see the cashier put something green into Hiei's bag. His natural curiosity peaked.

He paid for his purchases and then met his boyfriend.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked.

Hiei rolled his eyes. "At least it didn't take long."

Deciding to try something he had been curious about, Kurama slipped his hand into Hiei's as they walked. He felt red eyes slant in his direction, but his hand stayed tucked into Hiei's. Kurama smiled.

"What are we doing now?" Hiei wanted to know.

"Ice cream?" Kurama suggested.

* * *

The redhead would have never suspected that his boyfriend had such a sweet tooth. He himself had selected a medium size cup of sherbet at the ice cream place the mall's food court had. Hiei had come over to their table clutching a massive waffle cone piled high with vanilla and chocolate ice cream with sprinkles.

His glare dared Kurama to make a comment, so the redhead swallowed his laugh and focused on his own treat.

They had been eating in silence when the curiosity got the better of him. "Can I see what else you bought at the store?" he asked innocently.

Hiei's eyes were guarded, but he nodded.

Kurama grabbed the bag and rifled through it. The blue shirt was in there, as well as a dark brown leather jacket that Kurama knew would look good on the other man. At the bottom of the bag was a bright green t-shirt made out of soft organic cotton.

He had to admit that the shade would be good on Hiei, but he was puzzled. "What made you choose the green one?"

The little brunette averted his gaze. "I like green." he muttered.

Kurama frowned. He was fairly certain that there wasn't one green thing in Hiei's wardrobe or décor. "Since when?" he asked.

"Since you." Hiei whispered, more to his ice cream than to Kurama.

The gardener was still confused. He, of course had a penchant for green things. It was only to be expected since plants consumed a good portion of his life. Plants were green, he had green decorations at his apartment, his eyes were…It clicked then.

He smiled brilliantly. There was a smear of chocolate ice cream near Hiei's mouth, and Kurama leaned across the table and cleaned it with a swipe of his tongue.

Hiei tried to glare at him, but just ended up blushing.

"You know," Kurama remarked. "I've always wondered just how roomy these mall dressing rooms are. I'm sure they can fit two people, but what could those two people do in one of them?"

The swordsman gave his boyfriend a look. "No." he said quickly.

"Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"I am." Hiei replied. "But I'm no exhibitionist. I also have no desire to get arrested for indecent exposure."

Kurama pouted a little. "You're no fun."

Hiei raised an eyebrow. "I think that you have gotten your way enough for one day, Kurama."

* * *

A/N: I could write interactions between these two all day. Their give and take is so fascinating to me, and I enjoy manipulating it. A few notes: 1.) I have nothing against people who wear lots of black. In fact, I do it myself. Kurama is just a colorful person. 2.) I hope no one was offended by Hiei's comment about Kurama sounding stereotypically gay. I thought about not using that line, but then I said to hell with it. Kurama has always struck me as the more…flamboyant of the two, even though he is not really at all. 3.) Seiyu is the Japanese Wal-Mart. I think that's it. There will be more smutty goodness between the two of them in Friday's chapter. Also, I was wondering what people would think about an idea I had. I think when I go back to school, I might be able to get two updates out a week. Would you rather them both be for Little Wonders, or would you be okay with one for this story and one longer oneshot with them as demons? Let me know. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!


	19. Late Night Musings

Chapter 19: Late Night Musings

Or Hiei's Always On Top

Hiei noticed something about the way Kurama slept. He looked almost fragile in his sleep, more delicate than he did when awake, if that was possible. The halo of red hair that surrounded him falling across sharp cheekbones, eyes closed, and mouth softly parted. The little brunette could understand why people had to look twice at Kurama to determine his gender.

Still, sometimes it seemed like all that beauty was a ploy. Like some deadly flower that looked lovely until you breathed in it's poison vapors. There was a hard coldness to Kurama's eyes sometimes that betrayed his usual serene smile.

Hiei felt privileged to know what had put that ice there, and he vowed to make sure that he gave no reason to add to it.

As usual, Kurama had fallen asleep first. They had spent the night in Hiei's bed memorizing each other's bodies with hands, lips, and teeth. Their passion had gone on late into the night, and Kurama had fallen asleep with a little smile on his face.

Now, three hours later, Hiei was still up, just watching him. He traced a finger over the curve of Kurama's mouth.

To his surprise, the redhead's eyes fluttered open. "Hiei?" he asked in a groggy voice. "Why are you still up?"

"It's nothing." the other man replied quickly. "Go back to sleep."

Kurama stretched and sat up wearing that little secretive smile he wore so well. "No, I'm awake now."

Hiei pouted. "Apparently I didn't do my job well enough, then."

The sound of the gardener's rich laughter filled the room. "Never doubt your skills, Hiei. I don't have much to compare them to, but they are more than sufficient."

A light blush colored Hiei's cheeks, and Kurama laughed again. "Now that that has been dealt with, answer my question. Why are you still up?"

"Just thinking. And watching you."

Kurama smiled. "What were you thinking about?"

"How things change."

"Ah. They do at that. I've put a lot of thought into that as well over the months we've been together." The redhead let his head fall back against the pillows. "Do you know that you are the only person I have ever slept naked with?"

That surprised Hiei. His boyfriend always seemed so comfortable naked. "Why?"

Kurama shrugged neatly. "I have only ever been with two other people before. The first was a girl when I was in high school. Her name was Maya, and she was besotted with me."

"I don't think I like this story." Hiei grumbled.

"You have no cause to worry. Maya was…well it was a mistake to be with her. She wanted me to be her first, and I just wanted to feel something. She got what she wanted, I didn't. Once we were done, I dressed quickly and left. We didn't talk much after that."

"That was when you realized that you liked men?"

"Oh no. I've known that since I was about ten. This was my senior year of high school, and though I longed for college, I was afraid that if I left Yusuke and Kuwabara, I would have no friends. I needn't have worried because Kuronue and I hit it off instantly, but at the time, I was terrified of having to go through the same thing I did in high school. I thought that being with Maya would make me feel better. I was wrong."

"Well what about Yomi? You seemed to like him well enough."

"That's true. We were friends before we became more. It helped."

Hiei frowned. "So why didn't you sleep naked with him?"

"I don't really know." Kurama admitted. "I think that on some level, I knew I had to hold something back from him to keep myself from being consumed. Yomi thinks like a thief, and not a very good one. He goes after everything he wants with such aggression. Some things, though, have to be won more subtly."

The little brunette was silent for a while. "What do you hold back from me?" he asked suddenly.

Kurama shrugged. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

The redhead hummed in agreement. "Admitting that I loved you was the last thing, Hiei. I am as open before you than I have ever been with anyone." He pulled the smaller man down on top of him and sealed his lips in a kiss.

Hiei responded beautifully, then pulled back. He turned so he was resting his head against Kurama's chest. "Good." he said finally. "Can I ask you another question?"

"You can."

"Why aren't you more…why don't you...?" he paused, and tried again. "I'm always on top."

Kurama laughed yet again. "Yes, you are."

"Does that bother you?"

"Not at all. Being completely honest, you are much better at it that I would ever be. I have no problem being more dominant with little things, like that time in the kitchen, but really, Hiei, your dominance is almost an art form."

Hiei arched an eyebrow. "Almost?" In an instant he was straddling the other man. He reached over to the nightstand and pulled a pair of handcuffs out of the drawer. "Maybe you need convincing." He paused a moment, to give the redhead time to say no if he wanted to, but when Kurama just echoed his eyebrow arch, Hiei pounced.

Soon Kurama's hands were attached to the bars in the headboard of Hiei's bed. He pulled on them experimentally to see what kind of give they had. The answer was none.

"Do I even want to know why you have these?" Kurama asked.

"I bought them after the whole Karasu thing. They reminded me that I didn't always have to be the victim." A heat lit the small man's eyes. "Now, for example, it's your turn."

Kurama chuckled as Hiei slid down his body. Very slowly he peeled the covers back from the body he had learned to love so completely. Kurama was already getting hard, and Hiei gave the shaft of him a slow lick, enjoying the way the redhead writhed for him.

He slid down more, nipping the insides of Kurama's thighs to get him to spread his legs.

It was amazing to Kurama that for all the torment he'd gone through, Hiei still relished sex. He gasped as a particularly hard bite brought him back from his thoughts.

"You think too much." Hiei said.

"Guilty."

The two of them locked eyes. "Focus on _me_." the smaller man said firmly. He kissed his way back up Kurama's legs until he was right above the redhead's now throbbing erection. Hiei loved that his boyfriend responded so well to him. He stuck his tongue in the slit on the tip, savoring the taste of Kurama's salty precum. Giving the shaft another slow languid lick, Hiei worked his way down to take one of Kurama's balls in his mouth.

The gardener arched up off the bed and jerked on his bonds. He longed to bury his hands in Hiei's soft hair, and the fact that he was restrained and couldn't, added to the tension that was building up in him.

"Hiei, please." Kurama gasped.

The little brunette just sucked the other ball into his mouth and played around with it. With his hand, he squeezed the length in front of him. Letting the testicle slide from his mouth, Hiei moved his head up and took all of Kurama in his mouth without warning. A sharp cry was his reward.

"Hiei!"

The so named lifted his head. "Yes?"

"Please."

"Please what?"

"Inside me, please."

"Are you asking?" Hiei wanted to know.

He squeezed, and Kurama cried out. "Begging." he panted. "I'm begging."

"Oh good." Hiei pushed Kurama's legs open wider. He ducked his head, running the tip of his tongue around the rim of muscles that ringed Kurama's opening as the redhead was moaning and jerking on his restraints.

Finally Hiei decided to give him what he wanted. Ever so slowly he pushed the tip of his own erection into the ring of muscles.

"Gods." Kurama grunted, loving the feel of being stretched by Hiei. "More, Hiei, more."

The smaller man obliged, seating himself fully within Kurama. He gave him a moment to get accustomed to the fullness, then started to move.

He went slowly at first, enjoying the way Kurama bucked his hips, trying to get him to go faster. It was probably the sadist in him that loved the look that came over the pretty redhead's face when he was being tortured by Hiei. It was one of the times that his green eyes lost their guardedness and he enjoyed not being in control.

Without warning, Hiei shoved himself deeper into the other man, grabbing his hips to keep him still.

Kurama bucked hard, and a strangled cry ripped it's way from his throat. "Yes." he whispered.

Finding a new rhythm, Hiei began to pound into his lover, the sound of flesh slapping flesh only serving to make him harder. Both of them were grunting and crying out at the sensations. At one point Kurama clenched his muscles making Hiei grit his teeth.

In retaliation, the little brunette swiveled his hips, making the tip of him hit Kurama's prostate full on.

Green eyes flew wide, and a scream burst from him. Milky white cum shot out of his erection, spattering on his and Hiei's chests. Kurama clenched once more, and Hiei stiffened. He slammed into him once more and then emptied his fluids into Kurama. Exhausted, he collapsed onto the other man's chest.

"Don't you dare go to sleep without uncuffing me." Kurama murmured. He could feel his eyes threatening to close. "I'm serious, Hiei."

"Alright, alright." the swordsman muttered. He fished around in the drawer and came up with the key. Deftly, he unlocked Kurama, and stowed the cuffs away for later.

Kurama massaged his wrists, wincing when he saw the bruises he had gotten from pulling on them. He sighed, knowing that Yusuke and Kuronue would never let him hear the end of it.

"I'm sorry." Hiei said, noticing his boyfriends behavior.

"Don't be." the redhead replied. "Bruises wrought from the passion of either love or war are worthy to be displayed."

"Are you quoting?" Hiei wanted to know.

"Yes. A history teacher of mine in college liked to say that. I've never forgotten it."

Hiei rolled over, settling himself against Kurama so that his face was tucked into the space between the redhead's neck and shoulder. He yawned and closed his eyes. "Love you." he murmured as he fell asleep.

"And I you." Kurama replied. He stayed awake for a bit longer, watching Hiei sleep. He could understand his lover's fascination with observing him, he supposed. People were different in their sleep. Softer.

Then he grimaced when he remembered that they were still covered in sweat and fluids. They were definitely going to have to wash the sheets in the morning.

* * *

A/N: Another one down. So there won't be a Sunday update because I just don't have time to write it. Next week will be the last one on my regular schedule. So far the majority of people want to see one update for this and a one shot per week. I think I can get two updates out, but if I can't then this will definitely be the story I update. If you haven't voiced your opinion, please let it be heard. Thanks for all the reviews!


	20. Nightmares

Chapter 20: Nightmares

Hiei had nightmares sometimes.

Even now, after all the years that had gone by, and all the good stuff that had happened to him, his dreams were still haunted. Karasu's face and voice, his hands, they all tormented him on some nights.

It had been quite some time since the evil bastard had plagued his dreams. The little brunette was sure that had something to do with Kurama. Even though they only shared a bed about three nights a week, that was enough to make Hiei feel like nothing could hurt him.

It was a Tuesday night, and one of the rare days when he didn't get to see Kurama. The redhead's stepbrother had come into town, and they had gone out to dinner before Kurama drove him back to where their mother lived. Hiei had spoken to his own sibling on the phone, confirming that he and Kurama were still going to pick her and Kuwabara up from the airport that weekend. He'd showered after that, and then gone to bed.

Things took a downturn from there.

Hiei was discovering more and more that he didn't like sleeping alone. He and Kurama had only been dating for a few months, but the swordsman was already contemplating how much simpler things would be if they lived together. However, he had no idea how to broach that subject.

So he'd lain awake for a couple hours thinking about that. When he finally fell asleep, it was a fitful one, and that led to the nightmare.

Karasu.

The bastard had a starring role in the dream he was having. Once again he was shackled to the bed, helpless to defend himself as the tall man hit his nipples repeatedly with a flogger. This went on for what felt like forever until Karasu climbed onto the bed. His erection was dripping and pointing straight for Hiei's mouth. He tried to fight it, but Karasu just laughed and slapped him until he opened his mouth.

"No!" Hiei shouted and sat upright in the bed. He looked around wildly, expecting the tall graceful man to step out of every shadow and finish what he'd started.

After a few minutes, it became apparent that it had been just a dream. That quieted his heart beat a little, but didn't make him feel any better. He wanted to be over this, damn it! It had been years!

That line of thinking sent the little brunette into a ball on the bed. He curled around himself and began to cry in deep gulping sobs. He was so tired of being broken.

He wanted to be able to sleep through the night without fearing for his safety.

He wanted his subconscious to realize that the asshole was dead and stop conjuring up images of him.

He wanted Kurama.

It was nearly four in the morning, and the responsible gardener was almost assuredly asleep. But…Hiei needed to hear his voice. He needed something that would remind him that he wasn't eighteen and in danger.

Hiei snatched his cell phone off of the nightstand and hit the speed dial for Kurama's number. "Pick up, pick up, pick up." he chanted through his tears.

"_Hiei?" _

Even groggy and sleep muffled, Kurama's voice was heaven. "K-Kurama?" Hiei sobbed.

"_Hiei, what's wrong?" _

"I…never mind."

"_No, I will not never mind. You called for a reason. What's wrong?" _

" 'M crying." Hiei admitted.

"_I can tell. Are you going to tell me, or do I need to come out there?" _

"No…I…" the dark haired man didn't know what else to say.

"_Did you have a nightmare?" _

He was glad Kurama said it seriously and not like he was talking to a child. "Yeah." Hiei replied. He sniffled and was mildly disgusted with himself. "Bad one."

"_Karasu?" _

Another sob bubbled up from his throat. "Yes." he whispered.

There was a noise that sounded like Kurama pushing back his blanket and sitting up. _"Do you want to talk about it?" _

"It was like I was back there. Like all of it was happening all over again. Like he wasn't-" he cut himself off.

"_Dead? But he is, love, he is. You killed him." _

That was true. He had killed Karasu, he had killed him just like he had killed Zeru. Well…not just like, since Karasu's death had been intentional. But they were both dead by his hand. Hiei found himself wondering what kind of man Zeru was. He had been so full of himself, and there had been a slightly malicious glint in his eyes when they fought.

Was someone glad that Zeru was dead? Or was he mourned?

"Kurama?" Hiei whispered. "Do you…d'you think that happened to me because of what I did to Zeru?"

There was an indignant noise and then, _"No, Hiei. I don't believe that at all."_

"Then why?"

"_I don't know. Sometimes terrible things happen to wonderful people. That's just the way life works. If we are to believe in karma and things of that nature, then it would stand to reason that you endured all that only to have some amazing things ahead of you."_

Kurama yawned at the end of that sentence which made Hiei feel bad. "I'm sorry I woke you up." he said.

"_Don't be. I'm always here when you need me. Are you sure you don't want me to come over there?" _

"Kurama, you have to be at work in three hours."

"_So I'll call in sick. I know the owner of the store, he's a very nice guy." _

That made Hiei smile. "He's pretty hot too. I'll be okay, really. I just…I really wanted to hear your voice."

"_If you're sure." _

"I am."

"_Alright. I'll come over after work and make you dinner. Your kitchen is so much better than mine, after all." _

"Okay, I'll see you then. And…thank you, Kurama."

"_Of course. I love you."_

"I love you too. Go back to sleep."

"_I plan to." _

Hiei was smiling in truth by the time he hung up the phone. He never knew that being in a relationship could be so fulfilling.

When Yukina had started dating Kuwabara, he had called her need to be with him idiotic. He couldn't understand how one person could need another person that much. Now, though, he could see it.

Taking a deep breath, Hiei replaced the phone on the nightstand and rested his head on the pillow. He wiped the remains of tears from his eyes and sighed. It would have been better if Kurama had been there with him, but their homes were a twenty minute drive apart, and he wasn't selfish enough to ask.

Yes, he decided as he fell asleep, it would be nice to live with the pretty redhead.

* * *

A/N: I know this is kinda short and fairly depressing, but it popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. So here it is. I going to try my hardest to get Wednesday and Friday updates out, and maybe the beginning of another little project I'm working on. Don't expect anything on Sunday again, either. There haven't been any specific requests, and I'll be moving into my dorm to start my last year and a half of college all weekend. Anyway, that's what I've got. I put up a one shot called Similarly Afflicted a couple days ago. It's a Kurama/Yusuke friendship piece, and Hiei only gets a brief mention, but I'd love it if you checked it out. Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews!


	21. Past it All

Chapter 21: Past it All

Kurama smiled in amusement as his boyfriend finally made an appearance in the kitchen. The little brunette was disheveled, and his eyes were half open.

"Good morning, Hiei." The redhead said cheerfully.

Hiei just scowled in his direction. He was very much _not_ a morning person."Hn." he replied. "Coffee?"

"On the counter. Do try not to break your mug this time." That was in reference to the fact that Hiei managed to smash a mug at least once every couple of weeks by not paying attention where he was setting it so it fell to the hard kitchen floor.

The swordsman just grumbled at that and opened the cabinet to grab one of the plastic travel mugs that Kurama had bought for him.

Kurama chuckled and turned his attention back to the book he was reading. He knew that his lover was not a morning person, and he had something that he wanted to ask him. So he was content to wait until the other man was properly caffeinated.

Hiei leaned against the counter after he had filled his cup with the steaming liquid and the usual ridiculous amounts of cream and sugar.

"You know, Hiei, there is an obvious joke I could make about sugar and it stunting your growth, but I am fairly confident that you've heard it before."

"Shut up."

Another few minutes passed in silence before Kurama decided to try. "Hiei?" he began.

"What?"

"A couple of weeks ago you mentioned wanting to go visit your mother."

"Yeah…"

"Is today a good day for that?"

Hiei sighed. He drained the rest of his coffee in one gulp and then set the cup in the sink. "I guess." he answered finally.

"I'm not pressuring you." Kurama hurried to assure him. "It just seemed like if I didn't say anything, you wouldn't."

"I thought you'd forgotten, really." Hiei replied.

The gardener shook his head. "No. I was just waiting for you to bring it up. She is, after all, _your_ mother."

"Then yeah, we'll go today. I just gotta get some stuff together."

"Certainly. I think I am getting down to the last of the clothes that I have over here. Remind me to bring some more over tomorrow."

"You know," Hiei remarked offhandedly as he walked toward the stairs. "If you lived here, you wouldn't have to worry about that." Before Kurama could react, the shorter man had practically sprinted up the stairs leaving his stunned boyfriend behind.

Hiei often gloated about how much bigger and better furnished his home was than Kurama's apartment. Not in a malicious way, of course, just teasing. But now…well if Kurama didn't know any better, he would say that Hiei had just done the equivalent of suggesting he move in. But they weren't ready for that. Were they?

* * *

An hour later the two of them were in Kurama's car. Hiei was driving, and Kurama was looking out the window at the scenery. "It will be spring soon." he remarked suddenly.

"Hn." Hiei replied. He hadn't been very talkative since they had left the house, leaving Kurama to his own devices. The redhead was noticing that it looked like Hiei hadn't grown up very far from where he had, but in a completely different environment.

They passed a run down foster home, and Hiei's knuckles tightened on the steering wheel. "That's where I used to live." he said softly.

Kurama's emerald gaze took in the building, and his heart ached at the thought that someone he loved so much had to endure a childhood in such an unforgiving place. But soon they were past it, and heading down another street.

This wasn't the best neighborhood from the looks of things. The houses were small and shabby, and the few kids that were out looked thin and undernourished. Hiei pointed to one of the smaller of the homes. It was painted a pale blue that was peeling and seemed to be leaning slightly to the left. "That's where my mother used to live." he whispered.

"Who lives there now?" Kurama wanted to know.

Hiei shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I haven't been in there since before my mother died."

Kurama just nodded. There was a cluster of children at the house next to the one Hina had lived in, and they were all staring at the little Toyota like it was a limo.

"These children…"

"Orphans some of them. Probably from the home. They never did keep good tabs on their charges." Hiei sped the car up, obviously growing uncomfortable. He'd been through this neighborhood more times than he could count, always speeding past the foster home and his mother's house. Now, he felt it was…required…that he play tour guide for the man he loved. He wanted Kurama to see it all, to understand. But at the same time he didn't want his pity or judgment. Hiei wondered if Kurama, with his suburban upbringing and loving family, could _ever _understand what it felt like to be one of those children.

Soon they were past all the houses, and Hiei breathing quickened. He drove a few minutes outside the little neighborhood to the cemetery.

It was a small affair, only a hundred or so plots surrounded by a rusting iron fence and weeds that were growing unchecked.

Hiei parked on the street and turned the car off. This had seemed like such a good idea before, now he was terrified that Kurama would somehow think less of him.

The perceptive gardener picked up on that. He reached over to where Hiei's hands rested in his lap and took one. He tried to put all the love he felt into his eyes as he squeezed that hand. "When you're ready." was all he said.

"I'm ready." Hiei replied. "I do this all the time. Just not…"

"With another person." Kurama finished. "Not even Yukina?"

The shorter man shook his head. "We've never been here together."

"May I ask why?"

Hiei shrugged. "She deserves to mourn without me hanging all over her."

Kurama got the feeling that that was not the only reason, but he wasn't going to pry. They sat in the car for a little while longer, just looking out at the overcast day. Finally Hiei brought Kurama's hand to his lips and kissed it. "Let's go." he said.

Together they left the car, and Hiei led him up to the hill where his mother was buried. He could tell that Yukina had been there recently, probably before the wedding, because there were the white lilies that she usually left there leaning against the headstone.

Hiei immediately sat down in front of it and bowed his head. Kurama said a quick blessing and then got closer to read the engraving.

_Hina Koori _

_1962-1994_

_Her love: A perfect frozen gem_

_May she be remembered_

Kurama settled himself next to Hiei and waited.

Finally the little brunette lifted his head. "Mother." he said softly. "I'm sure Yukina has brought her oaf to meet you, so I figured it was my turn. Mine is prettier though."

The redhead chuckled. "I am pleased to be here Ms. Koori." he said. "Your children are wonderful people. I'm sure you're proud of them."

"Kurama's a gardener." Hiei continued. "You'd like him. He has some of those white orchids you used to like so much at his flower shop. I'll have him bring some the next time we visit."

Kurama got up then, subtlety giving his boyfriend some time alone with Hina. He walked along the rows of headstones absently studying the names and dates.

Hiei waited until he was further away and then turned back to the headstone. "I don't deserve him, Mother. Kurama is much too perfect. He says he isn't but I don't think he sees himself very clearly. That such beauty could be mine…it's borderline ridiculous. But I love him, and he loves me, despite the fact that I come from all this. I suppose you know Yukina got married. She looked beautiful. Her husband is an idiot, but he loves her. That much is clear." He talked to his mother for a bit longer and then stood up. He dusted off the back of his pants and then walked over to where Kurama was sitting in a thick patch of grass.

The redhead wordlessly stretched his hand out, and Hiei took it. He sat down next to Kurama who then laid back in the grass.

"I love thick green grass like this. Even though the ground is still cold, it thrives. I could lie here all day." Kurama remarked.

"You're weird."

"Mm. Perhaps. How are you?"

Hiei thought about it. "Fine. I always feel good after talking to her."

"Then it's good you have her here." Kurama hesitated for a moment. "May I ask you something?"

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a yes. Did you speak with your mother about Zeru or Karasu?"

"I did." Hiei admitted. "I figured she wouldn't be able to judge me."

"I see. How…how did she die?"

The shorter man sighed. "She was depressed. According to Rui, she felt bad about having to give me up and not being able to make it work with our father. Yukina says she just wasted away from her sadness."

Kurama reached up to touch Hiei's cheek. "I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago, and I didn't know her that well."

"All the same."

"Thank you. For coming."

"It really was my pleasure. May I ask you something else?"

"You are full of questions today."

The gardener chuckled. "I am naturally inquisitive. Life is a quest for knowledge."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Ask."

"This morning…you said something."

"That isn't a question."

"Fine." Kurama allowed. "_What did you mean_ by what you said this morning?"

"The thing about you living at my house?"

"Yes, that."

"I would think it's fairly obvious. Things would be easier if you lived at my house. You wouldn't have to bring over as many clothes because they would all be in the place you lived."

"To be fair that's how it was before I started sleeping at your house. Also, you spend just as much time at my apartment as I do at your house."

"My house is bigger. Plus you like my kitchen, and I have a yard."

"So you're trying to lure me with your yard to do what, exactly?"

"I still think it's fairly obvious."

Kurama gave a mischievous smile. "Pretend like I'm dense."

Hiei gave his boyfriend a look. "I hate when you do that." he sighed. "…I want you to move in with me."

Hiei held his breath as Kurama sat up slowly. Green eyes searched his quickly. The truth was, the gardener didn't know what to say. Hiei made all the big leaps in their relationship, but he let Kurama move at his own pace.

Leaving his home would be the ultimate loss of control for Kurama. His apartment was the place where he was at home. It was _his_, and it was where he retreated when he needed to be alone. If he moved in with Hiei, he would lose that.

_But Hiei is as fond of alone time as you are. _That was true. It was possible for the two of them to be alone together as Kurama had never been with another person. Then again, everything was new with Hiei.

The one thing he knew, was that no matter what was decided today, nothing would be the same.

Kurama decided then to stop thinking of the consequences, and to start trying to see if he could imagine himself living with Hiei. He saw himself waking up to the other man every morning. Talking to him as they (well, _he_, for Hiei couldn't cook to save his life) made dinner. Coming home from work and having someone there to greet him. It sounded…

"Yes." he said suddenly.

"What?" Hiei responded, startled.

"I'll do it."

"You will?"

"Yes."

"You'll move in with me?"

"Yes."

"Even though I live fifteen minutes from your shop?"

"Even though."

"Really?"

"_Yes, _Hiei." Kurama said with a laugh. He pulled the other man to him and captured his lips in a kiss. "Does that make you happy?"

"Inordinately so."

"Wow, that's a big word." the redhead teased.

"Shut up." Hiei kissed Kurama deeply, using his lips to tell him just how happy he was.

Kurama pulled back and made to stand up.

"Where are you going?" Hiei demanded. "I wasn't nearly done with you yet."

"If you haven't noticed, love, we're still in the middle of a graveyard. Let us afford the dead some respect."

"Oh." The little brunette stood up too, and together they made their way back to the car.

"Besides," Kurama said as they pulled away. "We can just finish when we get home."

That put a small smile on Hiei's face as he drove back. Past the house his mother lived in, past the foster home. Past all of the shit in his childhood, headed towards home.

* * *

A/N: Whew! One more in the bag. This one kind of took hold of me once I finished writing the part where Hiei talks to Hina. All the back and forth just kinda spewed forth on it's own, and I know it's a little silly and that Hiei is not really himself, but it wanted to be written. So I wrote it. Anyway, I got a request so I'll write that for Friday's chapter, and then on Monday we'll see Kurama getting ready to move in with Hiei. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!


	22. Kurama II

Chapter 22: Kurama II

An eighteen year old Kurama Minamino looked up from his books as the door to his room opened. He threw his roommate Kuronue a quick smile and then returned to his studying.

Kuronue laughed. "Red, why do you kill yourself like this?"

"Because exams are in two days?" the redhead replied without looking up.

"Yeah, and everyone knows that you are going to make your usual excellent grades and blow us all out of the water. You don't need to study."

"Perhaps I am hoping that you will learn from example and crack a book yourself, Kuronue. Your grades are beginning to take a toll on my reputation here."

"Har de har. You are a riot, Red. Seriously, you should just drop out right now and pursue a career in comedy."

Kurama rolled his eyes and continued to read.

"Oh by the way," Kuronue remarked. "I saw Yomi on my way up here. He looked like he was on the warpath. What's going on with the two of you?"

Since he was apparently taking a break, the redhead marked his place in the book and then gave his roommate his full attention. "Tell me, Kuronue, was Yomi alone when you saw him?"

"No…that girl from our English class was there. Kita or something."

"Koto." Kurama corrected. "Yes, they've had dinner together every night this week. Does that give you a little insight into what's going on with Yomi and me?"

"Is he cheating on you?"

"He claims not. Friendly dinners, he calls them."

"Huh." Kuronue looked thoughtful. "I wonder how friendly they are."

"I don't care." Kurama said firmly. "I'm tired of him expecting me to just wait around for him."

"So why don't you break up with him?"

Kurama sighed. "I don't know." he replied softly. "When it's good…"

"It's good." Kuronue finished. "Yeah, I live here too, remember. I've heard how good it is. But, Kurama, don't you think you deserve more than this? More than sitting in your room studying while your boyfriend gallivants with other people?"

"You've learned a new word." Kurama said jokingly. "Perhaps you _have_ been studying."

"Don't try to change the subject, Red. I'm being serious."

"I know you are. It's just…I _like _Yomi." That much was true. Yomi was a good person for Kurama to date, he was smart, funny, and quite good looking. They made a wonderfully handsome couple. But Kurama always held back from him. He was afraid of liking the other male too much. Especially since Yomi was always off making "friends" whenever Kurama was busy. The redhead could feel the control he had carefully built up slipping with Yomi, and he didn't like it.

"I like Yomi too." Kuronue was saying. "Not in the same way you do, of course, but he's a fun guy. But maybe you don't need fun. Maybe you need someone who is less fun and more…I don't know…like you?"

"Are you implying that I am not fun?" Kurama demanded with mock hurt.

"Asks the man who is studying at seven in the evening on a Friday."

"Exams are-"

"In two days, yes, I know." Kuronue interjected. "That means you have two days though, Red. Study tomorrow."

Kurama smiled fondly at his roommate. "And what do you propose I do tonight?"

"Come out with me. We hardly ever hang out anymore. You're either studying or with Yomi."

"Kuronue, I am sorry about that."

The other man waved the apology away. "Don't worry about it. I know how it is. But let's hang out tonight."

The redhead pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. His roommate was right on all counts. His grades wouldn't suffer from one night of not studying, and he really did divide his time between doing his school work and being with Yomi. He made a quick decision.

"Alright. Just give me a moment to change clothes, and we'll go out."

* * *

Kuronue choked on his drink as yet another girl approached his roommate. The redhead had put on a green shirt that made his eyes seem to glow and he was wearing a well fitting pair of dark jeans. That coupled with the young man's masses of crimson hair, was making him quite popular with the ladies in the bar they had gone to.

"Shut up." Kurama murmured under his breath after he had kindly declined her offer to join her and her friends. "_This _is why I don't go out!"

Kuronue laughed at that. "Well if you ever wanted to get rid of Yomi, it looks like you would have no trouble finding a replacement."

"And why would he want to get rid of me?" a smooth voice asked from Kurama's left.

The redhead didn't even turn around. "Yomi. Did Koto want to come here for an after dinner drink?"

"I'm hurt, Kurama. I was just out with a friend, and here you are looking all delicious with Kuronue. What am I to think?"

Guarded green eyes met Yomi's. "Think what you want, but do not expect me to just sit around while you fraternize with every person who shows the slightest bit of interest in you."

"Well I have to do _something_ while you're endlessly studying."

"Don't think you are more important than my future, Yomi. Not yet." Kurama said warningly.

"Always so concerned about the future." Yomi responded. He held out his hand to the other young man. "Come live in the now with me. At least for tonight."

That put Kurama off guard. He had been gearing up for a fight, but Yomi seemed more interested in making up. "Fine." he said, placing his hand in his boyfriend's. "For tonight. But tomorrow I am going back to studying, and you are not going to be out with anyone else."

Yomi smiled. "As you wish." He kissed the back of Kurama's hand and pulled him to his feet.

Kurama's eyes found Kuronue's. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't worry about it." he replied. "We hung out a little tonight, and we'll hang out more later. Maybe I'll study with you tomorrow."

The redhead smiled. "And pigs will fly."

He walked out of the bar with his boyfriend feeling better. Even if it wasn't by much, he had regained the upper hand.

"So you went out with Kuronue?" Yomi asked once they were free of the noisy environment. He had the habit of acting smooth, almost oily with other people, and Kurama hated it.

"It wasn't anything for you to be alarmed about. He's my roommate and my friend."

"I'm actually surprised that you aren't still in your room studying. Exams are in two days after all."

"I am well aware of that." Kurama returned. "This is a break."

"You take breaks! Who knew?"

Kurama rolled his eyes and pulled Yomi to him. Leaning up, he pressed his lips to the other male's.

"Mm I like the way you think."

The two of them kissed in the street for a few minutes and then made their way back to their campus. They went to Yomi's room since he had a single, and they weren't sure when Kuronue would be back.

Yomi pressed Kurama down to his bed and began to kiss him in earnest. Kurama's lips responded in kind, but his mind wasn't really there. He was outlining the things he needed to study the next day.

When he had deemed Yomi had been on top for long enough, he turned the tables, flipping their positions and straddling Yomi's hips.

He ran his hands up the muscled planes of Yomi's chest, liking the way they felt under his fingers.

With a mischievous grin, the other man tried to get back on top, but Kurama slammed him back down to the bed.

Yomi was always surprised at how much natural talent his lover had. Kurama had only had sex with one person before him, yet he was as passionate as someone who had been at it for much longer. Kurama's lips and oh so talented tongue were everywhere on Yomi's body, so he stopped trying to change their positions

* * *

The sex had been hard and fast, and Yomi fell right asleep when it was over. Kurama got out of the bed and hunted for his clothes on the floor. He got dressed quickly, pressed a kiss to Yomi's cheek, and then headed out to his own dorm.

Kuronue looked up surprised when he came in. "That was quick." he said.

"Was it?" Kurama replied. "I didn't notice." He changed into his pajama's quickly, then sat down at his desk and opened the book that was still there.

"How come you never sleep over at his place?" Kuronue wanted to know.

"Were you hoping that I would?"

"No. I'm just curious." The only times that his roommate and his boyfriend slept in the same bed was when they were in Kurama's.

Kurama shrugged. "I like my bed better."

"Fair enough, I guess. Did Yomi say anything about what he and Koto were doing?"

"I didn't ask."

Kuronue sighed. "Red, you know I'm only saying this because I consider you a friend, but seriously, how long are you going to put up with this?"

"I thought Yomi was your friend too."

"He is. I still think he's being an ass to you though. I mean, honestly, are you happy?"

Kurama had to think about that one. "Sometimes…" he said slowly. He was usually disgruntled and frustrated, but there were definitely _some _good times.

"I'm going to tell you what my mother told me when she left my father, and then I'm going to drop it." Kuronue said. "She said: 'when the good times become surprising, you have an issue.' You get it?"

"Yes. When the good becomes a novelty, there is a problem. That makes sense." He had of course thought of breaking up with Yomi before. It seemed like a good idea to end it with him he was cheated on in truth. "The trouble with that is that whenever I try to do it, he somehow manages to charm me into staying with him."

"Then don't do it face to face."

Kurama made an indignant noise. "Would you have me do it over the phone? That's dishonorable."

Kuronue shrugged. "So is what he does to you. You're a clever boy, Red; I'm sure you can come up with something."

The redhead didn't respond to that. He just returned to his reading. He wasn't really paying attention to the words though; his brain was running through different scenarios of how he could just break it off with Yomi and be done with it. A particularly wicked one popped into his head wouldn't leave.

It would be fitting, Kurama thought. After all, he had to find out about who Yomi was "being friends" with from other people, and turnabout _was _fair play in Kurama's book. Only he did things much bigger.

With a determined look on his face, Kurama got the campus directory from his bookshelf. He flipped through it until he found Koto's number.

Kuronue looked on with interest as his roommate picked up the phone and dialed.

"May I speak to Koto please?" the redhead asked, Kuronue's eyes went impossibly wide. "Hi Koto, this is Kurama Minamino. Yes, Yomi's…what? Ah. Yes, Yomi's ex. I was just calling to let you know that Yomi and were finished, and you are welcome to him. Yes. Yes. Oh I'm sure. Yes, he _is_ quite popular. I'm sure you'll enjoy that about him. Alright, goodbye, Koto." He slammed the phone down in it's cradle, his green eyes cold.

"What did you just do?" Kuronue whispered.

"Apparently Koto assumed Yomi and I were already broken up. I was just confirming it for her." Kurama picked his book back up.

"He's going to be pissed."

"And I could care less."

* * *

A/N: Okay, this chapter is dedicated to BlueUtopia who wanted to see more of Kurama and Yomi's past. Honestly, I kinda hate Yomi, so I made him kinda a sleezeball in this. And yes, Kurama's move at the end was not very nice. But I wanted it to resemble what happened in the anime when Youko hired that assassin to blind Yomi. There are definitely times in the anime where Kurama goes all cold blooded, so this chapter was made to reflect that. A quick reminder: there will be no Sunday update because I'll be getting set up at school. There might not be one on Monday either, but I'm going to try. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	23. Spaces

Chapter 23: Spaces

Kurama looked around his rapidly emptying apartment and found himself startlingly alright. He had expected to feel a sense of loss. He was, after all, making a few drastic changes to his life, all for the sake of one person. But when he thought about it, Kurama realized that Hiei was making changes too.

Adapting to fit, his mother had called it when he'd told her the news.

There was a loud knock on the door then, jarring Kurama from his thoughts, and the front door opened to reveal Yusuke and Kuwabara. His two closest friends were going to help him get all of his stuff to Hiei's while the shorter man was at work.

With the same efficiency he did everything else with, Kurama had packed the things he wanted to keep, trashed everything else, and set up a date for him to move in. Today was that day.

"You ready to do this, Kurama?" Yusuke asked.

The redhead nodded. "Yes. I'm ready whenever you two are." Kuwabara and Yusuke just stared at him expectantly. "What?"

"We're waiting." Kuwabara replied.

"For?"

"Instructions." the two replied in unison.

"Oh come now, I know the two of you know how to load a truck with boxes."

Yusuke snorted. "Yeah the regular way. But we know you, Kurama. You've got a plan in that big ass brain of yours for how this should go down so nothing gets broken, misplaced, or left behind, and so you'll be happy with the result. You may as well go on and tell us now before we get started."

Kurama chuckled. "Very well then. The boxes are arranged in groups according to fragility and then by heaviness within those groups. Everything in the living room can go in the truck first. Heavy things on the bottom and getting lighter as you stack. The boxes in the bedroom can go in next keeping the same structure. All the boxes in the kitchen will be going in my car."

Kuwabara shook his head. "I don't even know why you pretend not to be neurotic, Kurama.

"We all have our flaws, Kuwabara."

"Okay are you two ladies going yap all day, or are we going to get this shit done?"

"Eloquent as always." Kurama said and they all got to work.

* * *

"Hiei, my office, now!"

Mukuro's voice rang out through the dojo causing Hiei to pause in the drills he was running with the students. "I'm busy." he replied and then called another move.

"Don't make me say it again, Hiei."

The little swordsman huffed, but instructed the students to spar with each other. He followed the woman back to her office and then leaned against the wall. "What?"

"Have a seat." Mukuro offered.

"No. Now, what is going on?"

"I should be asking you that." Hiei gave her a confused look, so Mukuro continued. "You _smiled_ at a student."

"What?"

"_You _smiled at a student."

Now Hiei was baffled. He didn't recall doing it, but it could have happened. He _had_ been praising his class for their mastery of the first set of drills after all. "Is that not something people do?"

Mukuro sat back in her chair. "Plenty of people do it. It's just not something _you _would do. You smiled _at a student._"

"You're beginning to sound like a broken record." Hiei replied. "So I smiled at a kid. What's the big deal?"

"I'm your boss, Hiei. It's my job to note changes in your behavior and to discuss them with you. You have always been a good instructor, but you have never gone so far as to let your stoic I-don't-really-give-two-shits look drop. But now it's almost as if you're…happy."

Deciding it was worth it since it freaked her out, Hiei smiled at Mukuro. He leaned a little closer to her and whispered. "I am. Does that scare you?"

"Hardly." Mukuro returned. "I'll assume your redhead has something to do with your smile. Did he propose?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Mukuro."

"Well how am I to know? Every time I see you together you have that silly besotted look in your eyes."

Hiei snorted. "If you must know, he's moving in."

"That's fairly exciting. How do you feel about it?"

The little brunette narrowed his eyes. "Why are you playing my therapist all of a sudden? You don't like Kurama, remember?"

Mukuro arched an eyebrow. "I don't _not _like him. I'm just a little jealous of him is all. As to why I am showing an interest in you life, I'm your boss, and on some level, perhaps even your friend. We both have fighting spirits, Hiei. It would be beyond idiotic of me to alienate a person who can understand me."

"Fine." Hiei allowed. "Can I go back to work now? Kurama's moving in today and I'd like to get home to him at some point."

The woman smiled wistfully. "Go on." she said. "Offer him my congratulations when you get home as well."

Hiei just grunted and made his way back to the training area.

* * *

"Kuwabara, just because the box is one of the least fragile does not mean you can drop it at will." Kurama scolded.

He was inside of Hiei's staking out a sunny corner in the living room to put his plant table.

"Sorry." the orange haired man replied.

Kurama was unpacking boxes as Yusuke and Kuwabara brought them in. It was a good thing that he had a mother who made sure he had all the essentials when he moved out, because Hiei was sorely lacking in them.

Hiei's kitchen might have been bigger, but Kurama's was better stocked.

The few dishes he had were mismatched and chipped, so Kurama added his to the cabinets.

Hiei had basically told him to put stuff wherever, so that's what he was doing. Well…in an organized way of course.

He'd bought an armoire that matched the wood of Hiei's bed and put it against one wall of the bedroom. The clothes that he folded went in there and the ones that he hung joined Hiei's in the closet. Kurama saw the green shirt hanging there and smiled. This was going to be okay.

The three of them worked hard, and by five in the afternoon, Kurama was all moved in.

"Damn." Yusuke said as he flopped onto the couch, "I'm glad you're a neurotic planner, Kurama. If not, we'd probably still be trying to load the truck up."

"Urameshi's right." Kuwabara chimed in. "Good thinking."

Kurama laughed. "Thank you. It is nice to be appreciated."

"So when's the midget getting off work?"

"In another hour or so." Kurama replied, checking his watch. "Which reminds me…" He went into the kitchen and pulled the lasagna he had prepared the night before out of the refrigerator. He put in it in the oven to cook. "I want this to be an authentic experience for him."

"What, coming home to a warm meal and a loving wife?" Yusuke snickered.

"You know, I was going to feed you, but now you can just get out." Kurama returned good naturedly.

"We need to get the truck back by seven anyway." the dark haired man responded. "Seriously though, Kurama, congratulations on this. It's good to see you happy."

"Yeah." Kuwabara agreed. "We were beginning to worry."

Kurama smiled at his best friends. "Thank you. Both of you. I appreciate everything you've done."

"Hey." the tall orange haired man said suddenly. "If you marry Hiei, that'll make us brothers or something."

"You and Hiei are already brothers in law." Kurama replied. "Though I'm not sure he realizes it. Either way, Kuwabara, we're still family no matter what happens."

"Alright alright." Yusuke interjected. "This has gotten mushy enough. Save some of it for the shrimp, Kurama. We're gonna go take this truck back, then I gotta go with Keiko to see her dad."

Kurama laughed at the face his friend was making. "Yusuke, Mr. Yukimura adores you, even if you are stringing his daughter along."

"I ain't stringing her along. I'm just…uh…whatever. We'll get married one day."

"I'm only teasing." The redhead said as he walked them to the door. "Thank you again for your help." He watched as they drove away and then shut the door. He took a deep breath and looked around at the large house that he now lived in. Deciding that the only thing to do was to keep busy, Kurama set about making sure everything was put in it's proper place.

He watered the tiger lilies, daisies, and miniature roses that he had placed in the corner and checked on the food.

By 6:15 he was sitting on the couch pretending to read a book and nervously tapping his foot. Kurama didn't know why he was so antsy about the whole thing. He spent enough time here that it only made sense for him to move in. He and Hiei already knew how to share a space, and they were comfortable with each other.

He had just calmed himself down when he heard the roar of Hiei's motorcycle pulling into the driveway. His heart leaped into his throat as he waited.

It only took a few seconds, but it felt like hours to Kurama. Finally though, Hiei pushed the front door open and entered. Kurama got to his feet, but remained by the couch.

"Hi." he said uncertainly.

"Hey." Hiei replied. "You're here."

"I am."

"For good?"

Kurama nodded. "Yes. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and I got everything moved in and unpacked today."

"Let me guess. You had some master plan which helped things move so quickly."

A shrug. "So I'm a control freak. Sue me."

"I have a better idea." Hiei crossed to the couch until he was standing directly in front of his boyfriend. He reached up and latched onto his hair, tugging him down for a kiss. "I'm glad you're here." Hiei whispered against his lips once they broke apart.

Just like that, all the nervousness drained from Kurama. "I made some minor changes." he said quickly. "I added some of my dishes, pots, and pans to yours; there's an armoire in the bedroom; my favorite pillow is on the bed; I organized the cabinet in the bathroom; my plants are mmph-"

Hiei silenced him with another kiss. "Calm down." he said. "You live here too now. You can change things around if you want."

Kurama smiled at that. "Thank you. I just didn't want to come in here and start invading your space."

"You know something, Kurama? All my life I've never gotten to choose who I shared my space with. I was either alone, or had someone forced upon me. You're the first person I chose. And damn, I make good choices."

Kurama laughed. "I can't argue with that." he took Hiei's hand. "Come on, dinner's just about ready."

"I could get used to this." Hiei returned. "A loving wife _and _a warm meal?"

"I am not the wife, damn it!" the redhead shot back with a scowl.

"We've already discussed this." the little brunette said to his pretty redhead. "I'm always on top."

A wicked gleam shone in Kurama's green eyes. "We'll just see about that. Your bed is about to become a battle field, my dear."

"_Our_ bed." Hiei corrected.

"Yes. Our bed."

* * *

A/N: This chapter was so much fun to write. I get such a kick out of people thinking Kurama is a girl. He's just got delicate features! This story might be seeing it's end soon. When I started it, I wanted there to be about 30 chapters or so, and we are fast reaching that point. I'm kinda glad because as much as I love playing with them here, I miss them as demons, and I want to write an epic story about them in that capacity. So that's next. I'm going to wait until this is over so my full attention can go to the new project. Also, Little Wonders has gotten 100 reviews! That blows my mind, you guys. I never thought I'd be good at writing in this fandom, but I love it so much I had to try. Thanks so much to everyone for reading and reviewing!


	24. Intermeshed

Chapter 24: Intermeshed

Hiei found himself in a rare position.

It was his day off, and he walking towards a restaurant that he enjoyed, not with Kurama, but with the redhead's closest friend.

The detective had his hands shoved in his pockets and was walking like it was perfectly normal for him to be out and about with Kurama's boyfriend. He'd stopped trying to make small talk when he realized it would do no good, and the silence was fairly awkward.

For Hiei, it was because he had never had anyone call him up and ask him out for lunch. Well, Kurama did occasionally, but that was different. Hiei realized that he had never really had a friend, and didn't know what to do with one. Even one that wasn't his. Something told him that he was supposed to say something to this man. That there should be some conversation. Yusuke was obviously important to Kurama, and thus he should make an effort. So he did.

"How long have you and Kurama known each other?" he blurted out.

Yusuke blinked and looked around, as if making sure that the shorter man was indeed talking to him. "Uh…for a while now." he answered. "We met when I was like fifteen."

That was insane to the little brunette. The idea that someone could remain in your life for so long without causing irreparable damage.

"That's a long time." was all he said.

"Yep. Doesn't really feel like it though." Yusuke responded. "Seems like not that long ago he was calling me up asking for help." He related the tale of Shiori's illness and his part in getting her to the hospital to Hiei who listened with rapt attention.

"What was he like then?" Hiei found himself asking.

The detective took a moment to think about that. "Quieter." he said finally. "Back then it was like he knew who he was and what he wanted, but he wasn't sure of himself. Does that make any sense?"

Hiei nodded. It made perfect sense to him.

The two of them found seats in the restaurant and then gave their orders to a passing waitress. Yusuke took in how uncomfortable the swordsman looked and spoke up. "So…you're probably wondering why I called you all of a sudden, right?"

"I assumed Kurama wanted you to."

Yusuke shook his head. "Nope. Well, he probably will appreciate that I made the gesture, but this was all my idea."

"Why?"

A shrug. "You've been a significant part of Kurama's life for a while now. He's one of my best friends, and I don't really know anything about you other than you aren't chatty." Another shrug. "I thought maybe we could be friends since we both like the redhead so much."

It was Hiei's turn to blink rather stupidly. "Friends?" he asked, his voice a little more derisive than he'd meant for it to be.

"Yeah. I get that you're kinda socially repressed, but it really ain't that hard. We'll have lunch and make conversation. I'll start. How's living with Kurama?"

Red eyes were drawn to the table. "Different." Hiei answered. "It's been years since I lived with another person. Even longer since it was someone I liked. I like it though. Having him there."

Yusuke nodded. "He's a good person to have around. I've been trying to figure out what it is about that guy that draws people to him for years."

Hiei snorted. "It's the eyes." he said without thinking. "You can't say no to those eyes."

"You're probably right. So I have another question."

"Go ahead."

"What's it like having Kuwabara be married to your sister?"

The little brunette rolled his eyes. "Nothing's changed. He's still an idiot, and she's still much too lenient with him. But she's happy, and that's all I ever wanted for her. Tell me, detective, do you have any siblings?"

"Nope." Yusuke replied. "Just me and my crazy lush of a mom since I was born. I spent most of my childhood getting into fights so I could forget just how alone I really felt. Until I met Kurama and Kuwabara, that is."

The similarities of their upbringings startled Hiei. Yusuke struck him as someone who was well adjusted. He associated that with happy childhoods with good families and lots of friends. Basically everything he hadn't had. But it seemed like the detective who was so quick to smile or offer a joke knew his fair share of hard times.

Their food arrived then, so they set aside their talking to dig into the sandwiches. This time though, the silence was companionable.

"Kurama said you work at the Three Kings Dojo." Yusuke remarked once he had eaten a good portion of food. "I've heard it's hard as hell to get hired there."

"I do, and it is." Hiei responded. "You have to fight Mukuro who runs the place."

"Do you have to win?"

"No. I certainly didn't. But apparently she sees things in people and hires them accordingly. I teach a bunch of teenagers how to use katanas."

Yusuke burst out laughing at that. "Sorry." he said quickly when he saw Hiei's glare. "You just don't strike me as the type to have enough patience to teach a bunch of kids. I'm sure you're good at it though."

Hiei shrugged. "Haven't gotten fired yet."

They took a break to finish eating, then Yusuke's phone buzzed with a text. He checked it and swore. "Sorry. That's Jin from the station. He's borderline insane, and the higher ups seem to think I should be his keeper. Long story short, I gotta go. But we should do this again."

"Okay." Hiei found himself saying, and even more surprising, meaning it.

Yusuke smiled. "Awesome. Next time, I'll tell you embarrassing stories about Kurama that you can use to combat those eyes of his."

* * *

Kurama let himself into the house he had shared with Hiei for going on two weeks. He smiled to see his lover on the couch with his laptop, a look of determination on his face that meant he was playing Tetris again.

Not long into their relationship, Kurama had learned that Hiei was obsessed with the game and played it religiously trying to beat his own high scores. The redhead felt honored to be one of the two people that Hiei would pause the game for.

He kissed the top of his boyfriend's head and settled on the couch next to him.

"How was work?" Hiei wanted to know.

"The same as usual. People bought flowers, Kuronue broke things."

Red eyes rolled. "He's an imbecile, that one."

Kurama chuckled. "He isn't. Kuronue just rushes into things sometimes."

"Sounds like an imbecile to me."

"Of course. So how was _your_ day?"

Hiei shrugged. "Fine. I went out for lunch."

"Alone?"

"With Yusuke."

The redhead opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it. With a furrowed brow, he tried again. "Yusuke? _Yusuke Urameshi_?"

"Yes."

"My _best friend _Yusuke?"

"How many other Yusukes do you know?"

"None of course, but…I didn't think you liked Yusuke. He is, after all, a firm supporter of partying."

Another shrug. "He invited me, so I went."

"Wow." Kurama said. "I will admit to being shocked."

Hiei smirked. "Alert the media, the great Kurama Minamino didn't anticipate something coming and is shocked by it."

"Funny." Kurama shot back. "Really? You went out with Yusuke?"

"Do you want to call and confirm it, Mother?"

"No. I'm just…"

"Shocked. I know."

"Are there dinner plans with Kuwabara I should know about?" Kurama inquired.

"You don't amuse me. Do you have a problem with me having lunch with your friends?"

"Of course not." the redhead replied. "On the contrary, I welcome it. I just never thought you would want to."

"I'm a part of your life; they're a part of your life. I'd have to be more stubborn than I am now to try to deny that. I want to be meshed into your life, Kurama. This is just a part of it."

Kurama rewarded him with a brilliant smile. "That means more to me than you know, Hiei. I always did think that if you just gave Yusuke a chance, you would like him. You two are very similar in some ways."

Hiei nodded. "Yeah, he told me about his mother being a lush."

"Lush is not the right word for it. She was neglecting and exposed Yusuke to things a young boy should never have to see. I admire the two of you so much for being able to live through such harsh childhoods without going completely insane. I know that I was very lucky to have a parent who cared about me."

"You were." Hiei agreed. Some time passed before he spoke again. "Can I ask you for something?"

Kurama hummed in affirmative. "In the future, love, you can just ask."

"Mukuro said something the other day…"

"What did she say?"

"That she was my friend."

"That makes sense. You've worked together for years, and you have similar spirits."

"That's what she said." Hiei responded. "I thought that you were the only friend I had, but Mukuro might be another, and Yusuke might grow to be one."

"Your request?"

"Will you have lunch with Mukuro or something?"

Kurama still was not all that fond of the woman, but he knew that in order for the relationship between Hiei and himself to work, sacrifices would have to be made. "Is this important to you?" he asked.

Hiei nodded. "If she's my friend, then you two should get to know each other. Maybe then she'll get the point and stop hitting on me."

"I could emphasize your desire for her to stop doing that, if you'd like." Kurama said dryly.

"Just the lunch will be fine."

"Very well then." the redhead agreed. "I'll give her a call in the next few days." He stood up and stretched. "I'm going to take a shower before I get dinner started."

Hiei watched his lover go upstairs and marveled at how easy the give and take between the two of them had become. Neither asked for more than the other was willing to give or took more than their share. This relationship was becoming like breathing to Hiei. Natural and necessary.

It seemed somehow too good to be true that the first foray into dating he had made since Karasu should be so easy. But he remembered what Kurama had said to him some time ago. "_If we are to believe in karma and things of that nature, then it would stand to reason that you endured all that only to have some amazing things ahead of you."_

This certainly served to prove the redhead's point.

Hiei was not one for closeness. He never had been, not even with his own twin. Perhaps that was because she was always pursuing him, trying to hold him in the circle of her arms when all he wanted was to run away. Kurama let him come to him at his own pace. What was really surprising was that Hiei's pace seemed to be faster than Kurama's own. But they worked well together.

He knew that his boyfriend was not crazy about his boss, though he didn't know what had passed between them. So he appreciated the fact that Kurama was willing to make an effort. To show his gratitude, he resolved to do something extra nice for the redhead. Something involving chocolate and handcuffs most likely.

* * *

A/N: More banter. I've been reading a lot of BlueUtopia and Blossomwitch's stories, and they both manage to fit an awful lot of pretty hilarious banter in between all the wonderful stuff that happens in their fics. If you'd like a taste of this I suggest reading Blossomwitch's "Voyerism" and Blue Utopia's "Change" and "The Necessity of Birthdays." They are awesome stories. Anyway, this banter practically writes itself, so I hope you like it. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	25. Open and Free

Chapter 25: Open and Free

"How is your home life, son?" Shiori Minamino asked her son.

Kurama smiled. "It's fine, Mother. Living with Hiei is much easier than I expected it to be."

"Well that's good. You should really bring him around for dinner some night, dear. Kazuya and Shuuichi still have not met him."

"Yes, I know." the redhead sighed. "Will Father approve?"

"Oh, dear. You know that he already knows."

"Yes. But knowing and approving are two different things."

"Darling, you are almost thirty, and your step father has no control over your life. You have to do what makes you happy."

"You are right of course. I am very happy with Hiei."

Shiori cocked her head. "Do you think…" she trailed off.

Kurama knew what she was going to ask though. "There is no rush, Mother. There is still more exploring to be done between us. We know each other well by now, but…well…I would rather continue on like this than rush into something and ruin what we have."

"That is a wise choice." his mother replied. "I am very proud of you, honey. You've always been so good at making your dreams come true."

* * *

Kurama drove back to his and Hiei's home later that night with his head buzzing with thoughts. It was true that he and his lover knew just about everything about each other. They needed no pretenses or subtleties to interact with each other, and it made everything so much easier between them.

He let himself in and smiled at Hiei's twin who was coming out of the kitchen. "Good evening, Yukina."

"Oh hello, Kurama." the woman said softly. "How are you?"

"I am well. Just came back from visiting my mother."

"That's nice. I think Kazuma and I are going to visit mine tomorrow." there was a hint of sadness in Yukina's eyes. "I heard that Hiei took you to see her."

"He did." Kurama answered. "I truly am sorry that you lost her."

The woman shrugged. "It was a long time ago."

"That's exactly was Hiei said." the redhead hesitated, and then decided to meddle. "May I ask you something, Yukina? It's rather personal, so you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Sure."

"Are you and Hiei close?"

Yukina was taken aback by the question at first, then she sighed. "In some ways we are, but it's a one sided closeness. He makes it his business to know everything about me, but there are huge parts of his life that I know nothing about."

"That doesn't seem fair."

"No, it doesn't. But I trust Hiei. I'm sure there's some ridiculously noble reason why he's hiding things from me, and I can only hope that one day he'll realize he doesn't have to. May I ask _you _a question?"

"Please do."

"Does he at least talk to _you_? I would hate to think that he has all these painful secrets and no one to share them with. He loves you very much, that is apparent."

Kurama nodded. "He's told me some things, as I have told him some things. I don't think we could have made it this far if we didn't divulge some of our secrets to each other."

Yukina smiled sadly. "Well at least he trusts someone." she headed to the door. "I should go. Kazuma is probably hungry, and the last time he tried to cook, the kitchen almost burned down."

"Yes, he _is_ rather useless in the kitchen. Have a good night, Yukina."

"You too, Kurama."

The pale haired woman was almost out the door before Kurama spoke up. "It's not that he doesn't trust you." he murmured. "He's afraid."

Yukina paused for a second, but then closed the door and left. Kurama sighed and made his way upstairs.

The sound of the shower running told him where his boyfriend was, so he stripped out of his clothes and slid on a pair of soft pajama pants. He was in the bed with a book when Hiei emerged.

"Hey." he greeted. "How's your mom?"

"She's fine. She sends her greetings and an invitation to come over for dinner at some point and meet the rest of the family."

Hiei was startled. "I thought there was a reason why I hadn't."

"Not really. My stepfather works a lot and my step brother is rarely home. I was worried about how they would react to us being together for a time, but I no longer care about their opinion on the matter."

"That's good…" the little brunette could tell that there was something on Kurama's mind. He wasn't really focusing on the book in his hands, or on Hiei himself for that matter. Hiei folded his arms and gave his boyfriend a searching look. "Spit it out." he demanded.

"What?"

"We've long since passed the point where you could lie to me about things, Kurama. I can tell there is something you want to say, so spit it out."

The redhead sighed. "You won't like it."

"You breaking up with me?"

Kurama rolled his eyes. "Don't be absurd, Hiei."

"Then what?"

A pause. Then, "I think you should tell Yukina what happened to you."

"No." Hiei replied. "See how easy that was?"

"Hiei, I am very serious. She believes that you don't trust her."

"That's ridiculous."

Kurama raised an eyebrow. "Is it? Think about how much better our relationship got once we stopped hiding things. Things were more free between us. Don't you want that with your sister?"

"I can't tell her. What will she think?"

"No one can know for sure. But she is your twin sister, Hiei."

Hiei glared at him. "I don't need you to tell me that, Kurama."

The gardener glared right back. "It seems like you do. Yukina trusts you so completely, and you repay her with nothing. She's not an idiot, Hiei. She knows you hide things from her, and yet she still trusts you. How can you live with that?"

"You have no right to meddle in this!" Hiei shouted. "This isn't your family, and you don't know what it's like! Just because everything was all free and open in your happy little suburban life doesn't mean it works that way for everyone."

"I know that." Kurama snapped. "What you don't seem to realize is that you are not that same person anymore. You're not the little boy from the foster home, or the teenager who Karasu took advantage of. People love you, and you need to let them in."

"I let _you_ in, and look what you're doing now." Hiei muttered.

Kurama stood up in one swift motion. "I am trying to help you, Hiei. Because Yukina is the sister of the man I love and the wife of one of my best friends, and I can see the pain in her eyes every time you brush her off." the anger tightened his voice. "You claim to hate being alone, but you do everything in your power to keep people out. Not everyone in the world is out to hurt you."

"You can't know that." Hiei whispered.

A pained look filled green eyes. "I know that you are being a coward about this. And that if you continue to doubt the people who love you, you really will end up alone." With that he stalked to the door, letting it slam behind him.

* * *

Living in the same house with someone you were fighting with was harder than Hiei thought it would be. If Kurama was sleeping, he couldn't tell, since he was always in bed alone, and the couch never looked slept upon. Every morning for the next three days, Hiei woke up alone to find Kurama had already left for work. The redhead would come home from work, cook dinner, announce it to Hiei, and then disappear out into the yard where he was working on a garden. He stayed out there until Hiei was asleep, and then the whole process repeated the next day. It made Hiei's heart hurt.

On some level he knew that Kurama had been right. He _was _being a coward. He was terrified that Yukina would be disgusted with him if he told her what had happened. She was so pure and kindhearted. How could she still accept him if she knew how tainted he was?

_Kurama still accepts you. Or he did anyway…_The little voice in the back of his head reminded him. "Fuck." he swore under his breath. Looking at he clock, he could see it was nearly midnight. He knew that he couldn't go one more night sleeping alone.

Hiei kicked the covers off of him and headed downstairs and outside to where Kurama was sitting next to a bush of bright red flowers.

"Those are nice." he said softly.

Kurama looked up, a little surprised. "Azaleas." he said. "Did you need something?" The little brunette looked away, and the redhead sighed. "Hiei…I'm sorry for some of the things I said. I meant them, but I know they probably hurt you. Maybe I should leave for a while."

"Don't." Hiei said quickly. "Don't leave and…don't apologize. You were right."

"About?"

"Everything. As usual."

"So you're going to tell her?"

"Yes. I don't know when though."

Kurama stood. "Well that's progress at least. And I _am_ sorry for the things I said, Hiei."

The shorter man nodded. "Just…don't leave."

A laugh bubbled out of Kurama, and Hiei marveled at how much he had missed the sound. "I'm not going anywhere, love. So we had a fight. People fight and make up all the time."

"But you said…"

Kurama waved that away. "I thought maybe you wanted me to since we weren't speaking. I would never voluntarily leave you." The two stood in silence for a moment, then Kurama spoke again. "You were right too."

"I was?" Hiei asked incredulously.

The redhead nodded. "Yes. I can't possibly know what it was like to grow up the way you did. I stand by my statement that you aren't that person anymore, but I don't know who you were then; I can only make assumptions based on who you are now. It isn't my place to lecture you."

Hiei was silent at that, and he was trying so hard to keep his face expressionless that Kurama couldn't resist giving him a hug. The swordsman tensed and then relaxed into the hug, bringing his own arms up to wrap around Kurama. He exhaled deeply.

"You still love me then?" Hiei asked, hating how small his voice sounded.

Kurama stared down at him. "Of course I do, Hiei! Love, _my_ love anyway, is not so easily taken away."

"Good." Hiei buried his face in Kurama's shirt. "I missed you."

"I've missed you too. I never really realized how lonely silence is."

"I have." the shorter man whispered. "I realized it long ago."

"Well," Kurama said briskly. "I plan to make it a personal mission to keep you from feeling like that anymore.

* * *

A/N: I had originally planned to make this a much bigger fight with screaming and theatrics and all that, but then I realized that it probably would never get that far with these two. Kurama rarely loses his cool, and Hiei isn't that emotional. So this is what we've got. Don't think this is the last spat these two will get into. I love writing their differences in opinion. Up next will be Kurama's lunch with Mukuro.


	26. The Things I Do

Chapter 26: The Things I Do

Hiei cracked an eye open blearily as Kurama's alarm blared to life. It was his day off, but his redhead had to go into the store. He yawned and rolled over as Kurama smacked the clock to silence it and slid out from under the covers. Fucking morning person.

"Do you ever call in sick?" Hiei grumbled.

Kurama chuckled and crossed the room to his dresser, still gloriously nude from the night before. "I think I did once. It was…unsettling, and I ended up at the shop anyway."

Hiei fell silent, and Kurama assumed he had fallen back asleep. Once dressed, he went over to the mirror and brushed the tangles from his hair.

"When are you having lunch with Mukuro?"

The redhead started. "Eventually." was his only reply.

"You did promise." Hiei reminded him.

"I know. I know. I'll do it today, alright?"

"Hn." the shorter man opened his eyes in time to see Kurama leaning down to kiss him goodbye. "Have a good day." he whispered once their lips had parted.

"You too. Don't lay in bed all day."

When Kurama had gone, Hiei snorted and went right back to sleep.

* * *

At 11:30 Kurama stepped out of his car and walked into the Three Kings Dojo. A tall older man with copious facial piercings and a long gray ponytail looked up as he entered. "Can I help you?" he asked in a grizzled voice.

"My name is Kurama Minamino; I'm here to see Mukuro."

"Looking for a job are you? Personally, from the looks of you, I don't think you could handle it here. But then, there is something fascinating about those eyes of yours. So much is going on behind them."

That set Kurama on edge. "I am not looking for a job."

"A social visit then? The boss doesn't get very many of those. Let me go see if she wants one now."

The man disappeared for a couple minutes, leaving Kurama thankfully alone. He was not looking forward to this. This was not something he wanted to do. But being in love was about making sacrifices, so he was going to have lunch with the woman and be polite about it.

He had just strengthened his resolve when Mukuro emerged from her office with the older man in tow. "Mr. Minamino, this is a surprise. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that this is Hiei's day off."

"Seeing as I left him in bed before I went to work this morning, I would wager that you are correct. I am here to see you."

The gray haired man was looking back and forth between his boss and the visitor with a confused look on his face. "Mukuro, who is this?"

Mukuro sighed. "Shigure, meet Hiei's live in boyfriend Kurama. Kurama this is Shigure, he is my third in command here. He is an excellent fighter, second only to your Hiei. And myself of course." She cocked her head. "Now what can I do for you?"

"It is Hiei's wish that we get to know each other better. I propose we have lunch."

"And why does Hiei want that?"

Kurama shrugged. "He counts you as a friend."

Mukuro gaped. "He does? He said that?"

"Yes. And I am willing to respect his wishes in this. So, will you accept my offer for lunch?"

"I'd be mad not to it seems." Mukuro said. "Shigure, you are in charge until I return."

"Yes, ma'am." Shigure replied. "How long do you anticipate being gone?"

The woman gave Kurama a searching look. "That remains to be seen. Just keep everything in order, will you?"

Shigure saluted Mukuro and met Kurama's green eyes with his own dark ones. "Perhaps you can find out what makes those eyes so expressive."

"Just get to work, Shigure!" Mukuro snapped. She led Kurama out of the dojo and out into the parking lot. "I apologize for his lack of manners. Shigure is far too interested in other people's stories for his own good."

Kurama didn't respond to that. "Where would you like to go for lunch?" he asked.

Mukuro stopped walking and crossed her arms. "I want to know why you are doing this."

"I told you. Hiei would like for us to get along."

"Yes. You said that. But you do not strike me as the type to do things that you don't want to. So I want to know what's in this for you."

Kurama turned and speared Mukuro with his gaze. "Let me be quite clear here, Mukuro. I love Hiei, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to ensure his happiness. Out of all the things that he could have requested, a lunch with you is fairly low on the list of things I would rather not do. He considers you a friend, and that is enough to persuade me to ignore my natural aversion to people like you."

"People like me?" Mukuro asked with a challenging eyebrow.

"People who I would otherwise admire if it weren't for the fact that they wish for what is mine."

"I see." The silence was think for a moment. "I get the feeling that I do not want to be on your bad side, Kurama. Hiei is an invaluable employee, and I consider him a friend as well. You obviously love him as much as he loves you, so there really is no point in me having any delusions of being anything other than friends with Hiei. Now that that unsavory business is behind us, there is an excellent Mediterranean place within walking distance that I love."

And so they walked there.

The restaurant was located in a fairly large shopping center down the street from the dojo. Kurama paused for a minute to admire the landscaping job, drawing Mukuro's attention.

"Hiei said you liked plants." she remarked.

"I do." Kurama replied. "I have my own flower shop, the Wandering Rose over on Patton, and I have a degree in botany."

"So Hiei likes them smart, huh? It figures. Even though we are pretty similar, he never really seemed interested in people like us. People who had to get by with their fighting skills, rather than their brains."

"I suppose he rather had enough of that in his childhood."

They entered the restaurant and were seated. Mukuro found herself staring at the man across from her. "Is all of that real?" she demanded.

"All of what?"

"The hair, the eyes, the 'I-can-do-no-wrong-unless-you-want-me-to-and-then-it'll-be-delicious' look you get sometimes. How much of that is contrived?"

Kurama raised an eyebrow. "The hair and eyes are very much real. I am not sure what the look you are referring to is, but it is more than likely a mixture what I feel and what I want you to see."

Mukuro nodded. "That makes sense, I suppose."

"Let me ask _you_ a question." Kurama said. "Why a dojo?"

Mukuro sighed. "How much do you know about me?"

"Nothing of substance."

"Which means that you've heard the fairly valid rumor that I am a bitch."

Kurama just shrugged.

"It's fine." Mukuro told him. "I perpetuate that rumor; it gets more work done. Now, Hiei knows something of my past and how hard it was. People treated me like less than a person, and I still have no notion why. I was beaten, mistreated, and raped until I didn't know who I was anymore. Once I escaped, I vowed I would never let that happen again, and that I would help others protect themselves."

The gardener had to admit that he was impressed. For Mukuro to have survived all that, she had to be very strong of mind and heart. He could tell from the stubborn gleam in her eye that she did not want his pity, so instead he offered admiration.

"Then the Three Kings is a worthy pursuit. I am glad that Hiei can be a part of that."

Mukuro nodded. "He's become a very integral part. I have a question for you now in return."

"One could argue that you already asked me a question and that you began this game."

"One could." the woman allowed. "But as the instigator of this, it is my right to continue it."

"Fair enough. Ask."

"You're pretty for a man." Mukuro said. "Surely a looker like you had to learn to defend himself."

Kurama chuckled. "That is not a question."

"Oh please, Mr. Fancy College Degree. You know exactly what I am asking."

"Humor me."

"No."

Kurama was surprised. He wasn't expecting this woman to engage him in verbal sparring. Still, he couldn't deny that he was enjoying it.

"Very well." he responded. "I _am _capable of defending myself. I have been trained in the rather obscure art of fighting with a whip. I did that in college, and Yusuke, a friend of mine, taught me hand to hand fighting when we were teenagers."

"I wouldn't figure you for hand to hand." Mukuro remarked.

The redhead shot her a wicked grin. "I am much more than a pretty face, Mukuro."

"Apparently. Of course now I am insanely curious to see you in action."

"One day, perhaps. But fighting is Hiei's thing, and I am reluctant to intrude upon his world without his consent."

The woman was taken aback. "That's very decent of you. I will admit that I had my doubts about your intentions with him. Hiei hasn't had a date since I've known him. Then all of a sudden, you appear."

"He popped into my life just as abruptly." Kurama responded. "Is it my turn to ask a question now?"

"Knock yourself out, Red."

The man grimaced at the ever present (and apparently universal) nickname. "Do you love him?"

"Who?"

"Do not be coy, Mukuro. You should never issue a challenge if you aren't willing to be challenged back."

"Fine. I don't love Hiei. I respect him, admire him, and on some level I need him. But I have a jealous streak and I like to keep what is mine."

"Oh, as do I." Kurama returned. "I am, at my core, a covetous creature. What I have learned though, is that Hiei is not a prize to be won. He is not something to possess."

"Fair point."

* * *

Kuronue looked up as the door opened. The boss' boyfriend came in looking as cheery as ever. "Hey, Hiei." he greeted.

"Hn." was the reply. "Kurama's here?"

"Yep. In the back with his babies."

"Is he in a good mood?"

"He is. He was humming when he came back from lunch."

Kurama came around the corner then and grinned when he saw the little brunette. "Hello, dear." he said. "I though I heard your voice."

Hiei frowned. "Hi. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. How are you?"

"You _did _have lunch with Mukuro, right?" the swordsman asked, ignoring the question.

"Yes."

"And you're…happy?"

"Yes."

Hiei grabbed Kurama's hand and dragged him back into the office. "What is going on?" he demanded.

Kurama laughed. "Oh calm down, Hiei. Mukuro and I had a good lunch. There is much more going on in her head that I had given her credit for."

That cleared things up. "You got to match wits with her, didn't you?"

"A bit." the redhead admitted. "She is an interesting person. I respect her."

"Good…" Hiei replied hesitantly.

"Really, Hiei, everything is fine. This is essentially what you wanted, remember."

"But I wasn't expecting to get it."

Kurama pulled the shorter man closer and kissed him soundly. "Sometimes, love, you _will _get what you want. Now, hang out here for a bit while I do some work."

Hiei was fairly stunned at how easy that all had seemed. Yes, he decided. A reward for his lover was definitely in order.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry this is late, you guys. I was so not prepared for how school was going to slam me. I was a chapter ahead for a while, but then I forgot to write a chapter last week. Whatever. I have a lot of excuses. On the bright side, you're getting this and a one shot tomorrow, then probably another one on Saturday if this idea keeps tickling my brain. Oh, don't forget you can still request things for chapters. I like writing you guys' ideas. As always, thanks for the reviews and let me know what you thought of this.


	27. Holding the Hand of a Hurricane

Chapter 27: Holding the Hand of a Hurricane

Hiei's head shot up as the front door slammed. He had been playing an intense game of Tetris, which he paused when he saw the look on his boyfriend's face. It was hard to tell when the redhead was mad. He didn't yell or scowl or anything like that. Instead, his face became perfectly still and his eyes went as hard and cold as diamonds. That was the look Kurama was wearing now.

"Bad day?" Hiei asked.

Kurama held up a slender finger and pinched the bridge of his nose between the thumb and forefinger of his other hand. He took a deep breath, and gradually his eyes lost some of their ice.

"Yes," he answered finally. "I had a very bad day."

Hiei closed his laptop and patted the seat next to him on the couch. "Sit," he ordered gently.

Kurama shook his head. "I need to pace," he explained, and began doing just that.

"Well at least tell me what happened," the shorter man replied.

"People are idiots, that's what happened," Kurama returned. "This woman came into the shop today. I thought she was an American tourist, but she said that she had been in Japan for fifteen years. She had that air about her though. That 'I think I'm better than you' air. She's walking along the rows of flowers, of course touching all of them, even though there is a politely worded sign asking patrons to not do that. To top all of that off, she's smoking."

"There's a no smoking sign though." Hiei chimed in.

"There is!" Kurama agreed. "There are two, in fact. But she is just smoking anyway and dropping ash everywhere. Just as I open my mouth to say something about it, she drops her cigarette butt in the pot of the rhododendrons. Of course she could not be bothered to make sure that there are no remaining embers, so the plants instantly catch fire."

Hiei's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Very. Once Kuronue and I have gotten everything under control and assured the other patrons that the store is not going to explode, this woman decides that she is not in the market for flowers after all and proceeds to leave. She does not offer to pay for the damages. She doesn't even apologize. The bitch just leaves."

Red eyes went wider. Hiei had never heard Kurama refer to another person in such a way. He was usually polite to a fault, even when he should have been standing up for himself.

"Did you say anything to her?" Hiei wanted to know.

"No, but Kuronue called her a cunt."

"To her face?"

Kurama nodded. "Good for him," Hiei shook his head. "You really should drop that pensive act of yours and start telling people what's what, Kurama."

The redhead stopped pacing and sat down next to his lover. "I know," he said. "I do. It's like high school all over again."

Hiei shuddered at that. "No one wants to go back there again."

With a sigh, Kurama moved so that his head was resting in the brunette's lap. He practically purred with pleasure when calloused fingers worked their way into his mop of hair and massaged his scalp. "Have I ever told you how what a good idea this was?" he murmured.

"What?"

"Moving in together. There is something perfectly pleasant about coming home after a hard day to someone who cares about you. I haven't had that since I stopped living with my mother."

Hiei chuckled. "I _am_ a genius."

"Of course you are, darling. How was your day?"

"Same as usual," Hiei replied. "Taught some kids how to use a sword properly."

Something occurred to the redhead then. "How do you feel about children, Hiei?"

"In general?"

"Sure."

"They're fine when they are older and have to listen to me."

"So no babies then?" Kurama wanted to know.

"Well they can't exactly use swords, can they?"

Kurama laughed. "No, I suppose they can't. I more meant babies in a non work context."

"What other context would I have to deal with children in?"

"Your sister might want to be a mother one day, and she does have a husband to make babies with."

The color drained from Hiei's face. "I'll kill him if he tries."

"Oh, Hiei," Kurama scolded. "She's married, and furthermore, she's a grown woman. If she wants to have children, it really is her business. If she does, then you'll be their uncle. Hmm…Uncle Hiei. That has a nice ring to it."

"Stop it," Hiei growled. "You're not funny."

"I beg to differ," Kurama reached up and tapped his lover's nose with his finger. "You should see your face right now."

The shorter man took a deep breath. In addition to thinking about how his sister might very well want a litter of little brats, he suddenly wondered if Kurama might want some as well. Hiei was always very careful to only think of their relationship in terms of the now, or the very near future. He couldn't say what was going to happen to them, and thinking of them not being together made him sadder than he'd been in a while. Marrying Kurama, or whatever the equivalent was, was something he could see himself enjoying, but children? Could he really deal with having a family? With being responsible for someone else's life?

Hiei was so lost in thought that he didn't notice green eyes scrutinizing him. Kurama had learned to read the swordsman well, and he was pretty sure he knew where Hiei's mind was.

"Hiei," Kurama said gently. "Stop worrying. I'm not asking you for children. Not now. We are hardly at that point yet."

"But one day will we be?" Hiei asked before he could stop himself.

That took the redhead aback. "I…I suppose if we wanted we could." he replied.

"Hn."

The silence that followed was slightly awkward. Neither of them really knew what to say. They had never discussed marriage or children before, even though they had been dating for almost half a year.

Kurama decided that a subject change was in order. "Can I ask you for something?" he queried.

"Depends. Ask."

"Mukuro bullied me into telling her that I am capable of defending myself, and she mentioned that she would like to see it at some point. Would that be uncomfortable for you?"

"Why would it be?"

"I don't know; fighting is _your_ thing, Hiei. I would never want to intrude upon your world in a way you don't want."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Kurama, you can intrude on the dojo whenever you want. You unsettle Mukuro which is damned hard to do, and it fucking amuses me."

"Is that the only reason?" Kurama asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Yep."

"Oh really?" Moving so quickly that Hiei almost didn't catch it, Kurama sat up and reversed their positions. He was on top, and he leaned down and grazed his lips along the shell of Hiei's ear.

"Unfair." Hiei gasped out.

"All's fair in love and war." the redhead murmured.

"Which is this?"

"Both." Fairly sharp teeth nipped at a sensitive earlobe. "As is so often the case."

"Hn." Hiei arched up as Kurama turned his nibbles to the soft skin on the shorter man's neck.

"Oh please do not get all monosyllabic on me, darling." he pressed his groin into Hiei's and ground down into him. "Tell me why else you want me to come to the dojo."

Hiei knew what Kurama wanted, but _he _wanted to see what else the wily redhead had up his sleeve. "Because then you can drive me home, and I don't have to waste my gas." he answered.

"I don't think that's what it is." Kurama responded. He sucked on the skin of Hiei's neck, delighting in the hickey he was leaving there. Deciding to be a little impulsive, he reached a hand up and tightened it in Hiei's shock of hair.

"And here I thought I was the dominant one."

"The fact that you can still talk so coherently obviously means I am not working hard enough here." Kurama muttered. He pressed closer to Hiei and kissed him hard while tugging on his hair.

That dragged a gasp out of Hiei and brought a grin to Kurama's face. "Now why else do you want me to come, Hiei?"

The shorter man slid his hand between their groins and squeezed his boyfriend's growing erection through his jeans. "Well you know how much I like it when you come, Kurama." he replied.

The gardener's response to that was to burst out laughing.

Hiei couldn't help but laugh as well.

Kurama collapsed onto his lover still laughing. "I love you," he said once he could breathe.

"Ditto." Hiei responded. "That's another reason why I want you to come."

"To the dojo or in your mouth?"

The little brunette barked a laugh. "Either. Both."

"In which order, do you think?"

Hiei raised an eyebrow. "Maybe at the same time? We do have a locker room."

"I thought you said you didn't want to go back to high school."

"Valid."

The two of them lay in each other's arms on the couch. "You really don't mind?" Kurama asked.

"I don't."

"Good. I really want to see the look on Mukuro's face when she sees that I am much more than a pretty face."

"I think she already knows that, oh vain one."

Kurama pouted. "What? Don't you think I'm pretty?"

Red eyes rolled. "I am not feeding your ego. You're already worse than a teenage girl."

"You wound me, dear Hiei."

"You like it."

Silence returned to the living room, and Kurama once again marveled at how nice it was to no longer live alone. His bad day was almost completely forgotten in the face of being wrapped up in some one who loved him. This was something he could very well see himself doing forever.

As if he had read his boyfriend's mind, Hiei spoke up. "Kurama?"

"Hm?"

"I know that we haven't talked about it, and maybe it's been purposeful, but I don't think I ever want to date anyone else."

Kurama froze, then relaxed. "That is a very bold thing to say, Hiei."

"It's the truth. You know more about me than anyone else in this world, and I don't want to have to open up to anyone else."

"Except for Yukina."

Another eye roll. "Except Yukina."

"Is this all about convenience? You've opened up to me, so you want to keep me so you don't have to do it again?"

Hiei snorted. "You know very well that that isn't true."

"I suppose I do."

"It's okay if you don't feel the same way." Hiei said softly. "I know that you could have a line of people waiting to get with you if you showed any interest."

"Don't be ridiculous, Hiei." Kurama returned. "I wouldn't want to be kept by anyone else but you. I feel no need to go be with someone who is only interested in me because of how I look. I could stay like this for the rest of my life and be perfectly content."

That made the little brunette smile. It was still early for such talk, but he was glad that they had gotten it out of the way. He tightened his arms around the redhead and sighed.

"I should get dinner started." Kurama remarked.

"Leave it." Hiei said. "We'll order take out."

"Hiei…"

"It won't kill you."

"Fine, fine."

"Kurama?"

"Yes?"

"Do you really think my sister is going to have children with that oaf?"

"I can't be sure of course, not inhabiting the mind of either of them, but I would suspect that they probably will. It is my understanding that most married couples want families. Usually those families include children."

"She's going to want me to interact with them."

"More than likely. As I said, you will be their uncle." Kurama didn't have to be looking at Hiei to imagine the look of terror on his face. He chuckled and made him a promise. "You won't have to do it alone, you know. I'll be here."

Hiei relaxed a little. Kurama would be there. Suddenly, it all seemed a little more alright.

* * *

A/N: Ah…I've missed these guys. I forgot how good it feels to write conversations between them. In other words, I'm back. I can't promise weekly updates, because as you may have already know, college is kicking my ass this semester. But I have a bunch of chapters that are either half written or to be written, so please stick with me. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing my little threesome serial oneshots. I'm glad people are enjoying them, and they are super fun to write. As always, thanks so much for the reviews, and let me know what you thought of this.


	28. Coming Clean

Chapter 28: Coming Clean

Kurama opened his eyes on a Saturday morning to find his boyfriend was already awake. That was a pretty rare occurrence, especially on the weekend, so the redhead wiped sleep from his eyes and propped himself up on his elbow. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Hiei was lying on his back with his eyes wide open. He nodded slowly. "Fine."

"You do realize that I am not convinced, right?"

"You do realize that you could have made the same statement in fewer words, right?" the shorter man retorted.

Kurama pursed his lips. He knew what Hiei was trying to do. "Yes, yes, I'm verbose. We established that months ago. Answer my question please."

Hiei sighed. "Should I tell Yukina today?"

Kurama's first impulse had been to berate his lover for answering a question with a question, but then the words sank in and he had to take a moment. "Well, that really is up to you, Hiei," was the only reply he could think of.

"I mean, I can't think of any reason why I shouldn't tell her today," Hiei plowed on as if the redhead hadn't spoken. "So I should just go ahead and do it."

"That is solid reasoning. I would say that the more you over think it, the harder it will be to do it."

"It's a little late for that little gem of wisdom, Kurama. I've been awake since four thinking about it."

The gardener took his boyfriend into his arms and kissed the top of his head. "Tell me what you're so afraid of."

"I am _not _afraid."

"Alright. What is your reluctance then?"

"What if she rejects me, Kurama?" Hiei asked in a small voice. "What if she's repulsed by what I've done and what was done to me?"

"She's your sister, darling," Kurama replied. "Yukina loves you; she's not going to abandon you because you've had misfortune in your life. Anyone who would abandon you for that is not worth having in your life in the first place."

Hiei sighed again. "You're right." He snuggled closer and closed his eyes. "You're not going to leave me, are you?"

"Not because of anything that's happened in your past. But if you ever 'accidentally' park your motorcycle on my lawn again, I don't know what might happen."

"You are not funny."

"Why do you always say that?" Kurama asked in a wounded voice.

"Because it's true."

"I'm offended."

Hiei yawned. "That's life."

Kurama chuckled and kissed the spiky black head again. "Get some sleep, Hiei. You have all day to talk to Yukina."

* * *

"Kuwabara residence." Yukina's cheery voice rang out as she answered the phone.

_"Yukina, it's me."_

"Oh, hello, Hiei. What can I do for you?"

_"I…um…are you busy today?"_

The pale haired twin frowned at the tremble she could hear in her brother's voice. "No. Why do you ask?"

_"Because I wanted…I wanted to talk to you."_

Yukina hardly dared to hope. "Alright. Is this something we can do over the phone?"

_"Could you come over here? I need to tell you face to face. It's stuff about me and…could you come?" _

"Of course I can. I'll be there in an hour."

"What was that about?" Kuwabara asked as his wife hung up the phone. He knew a little about Yukina's frustrations with her brother's taciturn nature.

"Hiei wants to talk to me," Yukina replied brightly.

"Huh. You think this is gonna be the big talk?"

"It might. He sounded like he was panicking a little, and under any other circumstances I think he'd have it together."

"Kurama probably has something to do with this, you know."

Yukina nodded. "Oh I know. He's been such a good influence on Hiei, and I don't think I've ever seen him this happy before."

"Kurama's been happier than usual too," Kuwabara remarked. "I never thought I'd say it, but I'm grateful to the shrimp. Urameshi and I used to think that Kurama was never going to date anyone again." He reached up and pulled his wife down beside him on the couch.

"They work very well together, don't they? Kazuma…I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"Don't you think it would be nice if the four of us all went out sometime? After all Hiei is my brother and Kurama is one of your best friends. We're all practically family."

"Yukinaaaaa," Kuwabara whined. "Hiei hates me."

"Oh he does not," Yukina replied. "He's just a loner by nature. He isn't used to dealing with your level of…exuberance."

"Exuberance huh?" the orange haired man responded. "I'll show you exuberance." He pounced on his wife, being careful of her delicate frame, and captured her lips in a kiss.

* * *

Hiei paced in front of the door, and Kurama tracked his progress with his eyes. "It's going to be fine, Hiei," he said.

"You can't know that."

"You'd be surprised what I know," the redhead replied.

Hiei glared at him. "You aren't helping."

Kurama smirked. "Sorry. Tell me what you want me to do."

"Tell her for me?"

"No. Anything else?"

Hiei sighed. "Just sit there and be pretty then."

"Can do."

The doorbell rang then, and Hiei paled. He took a deep breath and then opened the door. "Hey." He greeted his sister as he let her in.

She gave him a bright smile. "Good afternoon. Hello, Kurama."

"Yukina," The redhead returned. "Please have a seat."

"Okay." She sat down in one of the arm chairs and giggled. "I feel like I'm on trial."

"You're not!" Hiei said quickly. "This…this is about me."

"Good."

The three of them sat in awkward silence for a moment. Kurama took in the helpless look on Hiei's face and cleared his throat. "Yukina, Hiei asked you here today because he has things that he wants to tell you. Right, Hiei?"

The little brunette nodded weakly. He opened his mouth, and then snapped it closed again. Red eyes darted to Kurama's and filled with pleading. Green eyes stared back in determination. Kurama gripped Hiei's hand in support.

Hiei took another deep breath and tried again. "I killed a man." He blurted out. "Two men, actually."

Yukina's eyes widened. "What?" she gasped.

"It wasn't on purpose!" Hiei rushed to assure her. "Well one of them was…but he deserved it!"

"Start at the beginning," Yukina advised.

For the next hour and a half, Hiei talked about what had happened to him. He explained about going overseas and meeting Karasu. He talked about being drugged and raped and blackmailed. The story of Zeru's death was brought up and related, and Kurama and Yukina could hear the real regret in Hiei's voice. The rage was apparent when he spoke of Karasu and how he had ended his life. Once it was all out in the open, Hiei fell silent.

Kurama kissed him on the forehead lightly. "I'm proud of you." He whispered.

Yukina hadn't spoken in all the time that Hiei had been talking. Her large red eyes were full of tears, and she was staring at her brother in wonder. In a matter of seconds, she had thrown herself at Hiei and wrapped him in her arms. "How could you?" she sobbed. "How could you have gone through all of that alone?"

"I didn't think I had a choice," Hiei responded. He brought his arms around his sister awkwardly.

Kurama smiled and silently left them to it, heading back upstairs.

"Hiei, we're siblings," Yukina said firmly. "We're _twins. _Why would you think you couldn't tell me this?"

"I didn't want you to be disappointed in me, I guess. I wanted you to feel like I was a brother you could be proud of."

"I have always been proud of you, Hiei. You have been through so much in your life, and you're still living. So many people would have given up. They would have found it all too difficult and just taken the easy way out."

Hiei snorted. "I have never been one for that route."

"Which is why I could never be disappointed in you. No matter what, we are family, Hiei. Nothing is going to change that."

The swordsman clung to his sister as relief flooded every ounce of his being. So this was what Kurama had been talking about. The feeling of being completely open about everything with another person felt like nothing Hiei had experienced before. "I love you, Yukina." he whispered into her hair.

"I love you too, Hiei. Don't ever doubt that."

The twins separated and took deep breaths to calm themselves. "Can I ask you for a favor, brother?" Yukina asked softly. "I understand if you say no. You've already done so much for me by just telling me this today."

Red eyes softened. "I would do anything for you, Yukina. Ask."

"Well…Kazuma and I were talking before I came over here."

"That is not a question," Hiei replied, feeling very much like Kurama.

Yukina giggled. "Yes, I know. We were wondering if you and Kurama would like to come out with us sometime."

Hiei groaned. "Surely you know that your husband is not on my list of favorite people."

"I do. But maybe if you just spent more time with him your opinion of him would change."

"Spending time with people you find fundamentally annoying usually has the opposite effect."

Yukina gave him a wry grin. "Please?" she asked.

"Yes, Hiei, please?"

The little brunette turned to see Kurama leaning against the railing of the stairs with an amused look on his face. "You're in on this too?" Hiei accused.

"Not really. But Kuwabara _is_ one of my best friends."

"Fine," Hiei accepted, not seeing where he had much choice. "We can double date with the oaf." The words had barely left his mouth when Yukina flew over and was in his arms again.

"Thank you, Hiei!" she squealed. "You've made me so happy today."

"I try." the swordsman muttered with no real malice.

Yukina released her brother and got to her feet. "I should go," she said. "Kazuma is going to be so pleased. And don't worry; I'm not going to say anything to him about what we talked about today."

"Thank you."

"Of course. I'll call you about going out?"

"Call Kurama," Hiei replied. "The less I have to do with this the better."

The woman smiled. "Of course," she said again. "Bye, you two."

Once she was gone, Kurama walked over to the couch and sat down next to his boyfriend. Hiei slumped and laid so his head was in the other man's lap. "What a day," he murmured.

"Indeed. You did excellently."

"I'm just so glad it's over."

"And that it went well?"

"Do I even need to answer that?"

"I suppose not. But really you should be congratulating me."

"For what?"

"For being right every single time that I told you telling Yukina would go well and that she wouldn't reject you."

"You are so arrogant sometimes."

Kurama shrugged. "I am a firm believer in credit where credit is due."

"Yeah, when you're the one getting the credit." Hiei shot back.

"Is it my fault that I am always right? I don't think so."

Hiei just rolled his eyes at that and reached up to toy with a lock of fiery red hair. "Do I really have to go out with Kuwabara?"

"No. I would prefer if you didn't cheat on me with him."

"Kurama! Can you be serious for just a minute please?"

The redhead smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. You certainly don't have to, Hiei. But you saw how happy it made Yukina."

"And you."

"Well I will admit that it would make my life easier if you and Kuwabara would get along, but I will not be overly upset if you don't want to do it."

Hiei sighed for what had to be the hundredth time that day. "I'll do it since it means so much to you two. I was planning on doing something for you since you made nice with Mukuro, but now we can call it even."

"Wait. What were you planning on doing?"

Hiei shrugged. "I don't know. Something sexy probably."

"There's no reason you still can't do that," Kurama reasoned.

"Nope. One reward per action. Wouldn't want you getting spoiled or anything. Imagine how insufferable you would be then."

Green eyes rolled, and Kurama stood up, dumping Hiei unceremoniously on the couch. "Fine then. I'm just going to go take a shower. After such a long day, I could certainly use the relaxation. You know how loose and pliable all that hot water makes me. Those warm drops sliding down my skin, caressing every inch of my body. Mmm. It's enough to make me release everything. _Everything._"

"You are shameless," Hiei said.

"Some call me effective." Kurama responded, waggling his eyebrows. "You know where to find me," he called over his shoulder in a sing song manner.

Hiei considered sitting on the couch for another two hours just to be obstinate. He knew that Kurama would be standing in the shower waiting for him with that stupid expectant smile on his face. Picturing the smile led to picturing other parts of Kurama in the shower. That led to a growing…er…issue…which of course led to him taking the stairs two at a time.

* * *

A/N: Teehee. I love Kurama. Love love love love love love love him. Every time he opens his mouth, I laugh. Anyway, here is the much anticipated confrontation between the twins. I'm sure it went much like you all expected it to. I briefly entertained having Yukina freak out and get mad or something like that, but I decided it wasn't in her nature and that Hiei didn't deserve that. Plus I just wanted Kurama to be able to gloat about being right. Which he did, emphatically. Anywho, hopefully this chapter is signifying a return to more regular updating. At least one chapter a week for this is what I am hoping for. If that proves to irritate my muse (or my workload) I'll do one of this every other week and one one shot on the weeks this doesn't update. We'll see. As always, thanks for the reviews, and let me know what you thought of this.


	29. Forever

Chapter 29: Forever

"Yusuke, may I ask you a serious question?"

The detective looked up from his menu at his friend. "Uh...sure," he replied. "Can't promise a serious answer though."

Kurama chuckled. "Of course not. Why haven't you married Keiko yet?"

Yusuke scowled. "Are you still on that?" he demanded.

"I'm asking for a different reason this time. You've been dating practically since before I knew you. You love her; she loves you. What's the hold up?"

"I don't know." Yusuke answered with a sigh, running his fingers through his hair. "Things are so good the way they are. Sometimes…sometimes I worry that if we get married, things will change and not be as good."

Kurama nodded. "I can understand that. But for what it's worth, I think that you and Keiko are incapable of being anything but good together."

"Thanks. So why are you asking, if it's not to mess with me?"

"Hiei and I were talking the other evening…"

"About getting married? Is that even legal here?"

"I am not sure of the legality of it," the redhead admitted. "We never used the word marriage specifically, but both of us said that we really didn't feel the need to date anyone else ever again."

"Sounds like a marriage to me." Yusuke cocked his head thoughtfully. "You know, come to think of it, I can't really picture either of you with anyone else either. It's like you fit together, you know?"

Kurama smiled, because he did know. "I feel much the same way. Is it too soon though?"

"You both seem to be on the same page," was the reply. "I know people who knew each other for a lot less time and have successful marriages."

"My mother and father, for instance."

"Well I never met your real dad, but yeah. I don't think time is the issue, Kurama. I think it's all about both people being invested and wanting the same thing. It sounds like that's what you've got."

Kurama took a deep breath. "Thank you, Yusuke. We're in no rush, of course, but I think this is something that has been on both of our minds lately. It's good to talk about it with someone who is outside of the situation."

"Anytime, pal. You've done enough for me to ensure my undying loyalty."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

* * *

Hiei walked into Mukuro's office unannounced and plopped down into the seat across from her desk. For a moment, he considered putting his feet up on the desk, but figured that would just end with him embarrassing himself if his feet wouldn't reach.

Mukuro chuckled as she saw him thinking that over. "It's so much harder to be insubordinate when you're not even five feet tall, isn't it?"

"Just like it's harder to be funny when you've been knocked in the head too many times," Hiei retorted. "And I'm five-two."

"Of course you are. What can I do for you, Hiei?"

"You told Kurama that you wanted to see him use his whip."

"I hope I didn't overstep any boundaries there. I know how private you might be about the things Kurama does with a whip."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Tell me, how does it feel to live in a constant haze of stupidity?"

"Probably the same as living in a world where you can't reach anything," Mukuro retorted. "Your height, or lack there of, aside, I did tell him that. He said he was going to run it by you."

"He did, and I'm fine with it."

"Excellent. When is he going to come by?"

"Probably later today if it's slow at the Rose," Hiei answered. "That work for you?"

"It should. I just need to get Shigure out of here."

"Why?"

Mukuro sighed. "He tried to read Kurama, and your redhead didn't appreciate it."

Hiei growled. "You should really put him on a leash or something."

"He's a brilliant fighter, but his interpersonal skills leave something to be desired, it's true. But if I was only in the market for employees who deal with people as well as they fight, most of you would be out of a job."

"Fair enough. Just keep that freak away from my boyfriend."

Mukuro nodded. "I'll send him home early."

"You don't usually compromise this easily," Hiei remarked. "Not unless you have some ulterior motive."

The woman shrugged. "I am intrigued by Kurama. He's so multifaceted, and I feel like no one, except maybe you, gets to see all of him. I am curious to see what he will show with his fighting."

"I am too, to be honest," Hiei said. "I've never seen him in action either."

"Then today will be a treat for us both."

The swordsman gave his boss a searching look, trying to decide whether or not to ask her something more.

"Spit it out, kid," Mukuro demanded. "You've got that look in your eyes like you want to ask me something, so do it."

She knew him well. "Have you ever thought about marriage?"

"Why, Hiei, I'm flattered, but I couldn't do that to Kurama."

Hiei scowled. "Why is that no one I talk to is capable of having a serious conversation?"

Laughing, Mukuro apologized. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. Kurama and I were talking about how we didn't want to date other people, and that seems to lead to we want to get married. Do we?"

"Hiei, I can't tell you if you want to get married. I think you're the only person who can answer that, and if you're not sure, the answer should be no until you are."

"Hn."

"Oh, don't 'hn' me," Mukuro quipped. "Either you're sure or you're not. Kurama deserves that."

Hiei couldn't argue. His lover did deserve Hiei's certainty before they got married. The issue was that Hiei _was_ certain. He knew that he would be happy spending the rest of his life with the redhead, but he wasn't sure if said redhead was ready for that leap yet. To be honest, he was content with where they were now, (you know, when his crippling fear of being abandoned didn't crop up) but there was a part of him that wanted the promise of something _more._

Just as he was thinking this, his cell phone vibrated with a text message. He pulled it out, and his lips quirked in a smile when he saw that it was from Kurama.

_I'll be there at four. 3_

Hiei shook his head at the message. Kurama had taken to signing all his text messages with that stupid less than three heart thing simply because he found Hiei's irritation with it amusing.

_OMG!1!1! C U then. LOL. _Hiei texted back. If there was one thing that his boyfriend hated, it was chat speak. But turnabout was, after all, fair play.

* * *

"You are a cruel man sometimes, Hiei," Kurama announced as he entered the dojo.

"You started it," Hiei replied. He walked into one of the training areas. "You look…different."

Kurama was wearing a white shirt and pants with a yellow tunic over them, and a coiled whip of dark brown leather was hanging at his waist. His hair was left to hang loose around his face and shoulders and green eyes sparkled with determination. He quirked an eyebrow at his boyfriend. "Good different?"

"Tell you later," Hiei answered. He beckoned the other man into the ring. "Are you ready for this?"

"I need a few minutes to limber up, but then I will be."

Hiei nodded and went to go get Mukuro. Her eyebrows jumped up to her hairline when she saw how gracefully the redhead was moving as he warmed up with his weapon of choice. She had to admire the way the whip only snapped where he wanted it to as well as the quickness with which he was moving. He was no where near as quick as Hiei, but his speed was still impressive.

"Make sure you pay attention, Mukuro," Kurama called as he neatly executed a back flip. "I only want to have to prove my point once."

"Oh I won't be looking away," Mukuro assured him.

"How do you want to do this?" Hiei asked his lover.

"Well, let me show off for a bit, then how do you feel about sparring with me?"

Hiei's eyebrows jumped up. "Hand to hand?"

Kurama shook his head. "I was thinking whip to sword."

"Is that a good idea?" Mukuro chimed in. "Those two weapons aren't exactly evenly matched."

"Don't worry about me, Mukuro," Kurama advised. "I'm a little rusty, but I think I can hold my own sufficiently."

The two dojo workers exchanged helpless looks and Kurama began in earnest. He whirled through the air with his whip, the sharp sound of it slicing through the air echoing through the dojo. Soon he had a small audience: the Three King's other employees had come to see what was happening.

For half an hour, Kurama showed them all that even though it had been years since had last really practiced with his whip, he was uncannily good at it. When he finally stopped moving, he had barely broken a sweat.

Mukuro's eyes were widened in appreciation. She hadn't seen many people fight with a whip before, but it was artful as well as powerful from what she had just seen.

There was a fair amount of pride in Hiei's eyes as he watched Kurama stretch. A smile curved unbidden across his face.

Kurama turned to look at his lover with amusement in his green eyes. "Are you ready, darling?" he asked, his voice low and seductive.

Red eyes narrowed. "Are you?"

"Born ready."

Hiei climbed into the training area, unsheathed his sword, and took up a defensive stance. Kurama raised an eyebrow and stood his ground. He knew his boyfriend was going to get impatient and make the first move.

In less than five minutes, that proved itself to be true. Hiei launched into an attack which Kurama saw coming from a mile away. The redhead flicked his wrist, sending his whip out so that it wrapped around Hiei's ankle. He gave a sharp tug, putting the shorter man off balance but pulling back in time for Hiei to regain his footing. "Check," he said.

The swordsman had to be proud of that, but he decided to step his game up. He put forth a burst of speed and came up under Kurama's arm, resting his sword along the redhead's forearm. "Check."

"Clever."

Before Hiei could do anything, Kurama's whip was around his other arm. Kurama gave a yank, spinning Hiei away from him. Hiei tried to advance again, but the redhead snapped his whip, keeping him away. "Where do we go from here, Hiei?"

The little brunette cocked his head and gave Kurama calculating eyes. He wasn't sure how to continue. Strategy never really played a big role in his fighting style. He relied on his speed and skill with a sword to help him win his fights. That obviously wasn't going to work here.

The usually mild mannered gardener smiled as he watched the man he loved work this out. Kurama was purposefully pushing Hiei. He knew that if they were going to be together more permanently, this was something they were going to have to share. He'd been invited into this world, and Kurama was going to make them respect him.

Hiei sheathed his sword slowly and stood up straight.

"Don't tell me you're conceding."

"Hardly," Hiei grunted. "Merely changing my strategy."

Mukuro frowned. She had never seen Hiei fight without his sword. Kurama didn't seem to be giving up his whip, which only appeared to be giving him more of an advantage.

Before anyone could track it, Hiei became almost a blur. He ran in zig zag patterns, and Kurama tensed, waiting to see what would happen. Suddenly Hiei disappeared, and Kurama felt a weight on his back and hands at his throat. "Check," Hiei whispered in his ear.

Kurama smiled. In a maneuver no one could have expected, the redhead snapped the whip behind him, coiling it around Hiei's neck. "Check."

Neither of them moved.

"I think we can control this a draw," Mukuro announced. "But, Kurama, you have definitely taught us all something today." She looked at the pair in the ring and saw the heat in their eyes. Obviously they had enjoyed the match. The woman turned to her other employees who all looked vaguely stunned. "Alright, you lumps, clear out. It's closing time."

Once everyone was gone, Kurama retracted his weapon, and Hiei climbed off of him. The shorter man walked around to face the redhead, and the two stared at each other for a moment. Finally Hiei dragged Kurama down to his level by his forelocks and pressed a hungry kiss to his mouth.

"We _will _do that again," Hiei murmured once they had separated. "Often."

Kurama laughed. "Very well. Did I make you proud?"

"Extremely. So, is there _anything_ you can't do?" Hiei replied.

"A few things. No one is perfect."

"Not that you don't try."

"One can always try, love." Kurama stretched languidly. "I don't have anything against your locker rooms, but I would much rather shower at home. I can drop you off tomorrow if you want to leave your death trap here."

Hiei agreed and took his boyfriend's hand as they headed out to the car. They were silent for the beginning of the drive, each lost in their own their own thoughts.

"Can I ask you something?" Hiei asked after a while.

"Of course."

"Will you introduce me to the rest of your family?"

The redhead sighed and kept his eyes on the road. "I had planned to eventually. I suppose you want to do this soon?"

"Yes."

"Alright," Kurama agreed reluctantly.

"Why don't you like them?"

"It's my stepfather really. Shuichi, my brother, is fine. Kazuya Hatanaka, though, has never approved of the way I live my life. He wanted me to work for his company when I graduated from high school and then again after college. I refused each time for want of following my own life plans." Kurama shrugged. "He thinks I'm wasting my life."

"Do you care?" Hiei wanted to know.

"Not especially. It just makes interactions with him irritating. But you're important enough to me to introduce you to him."

"Good."

The silence returned. Kurama was lost in his own head. There was something he wanted to say. Something that had been solidified for him after their spar.

"Hiei?" he asked suddenly. "Will you marry me?"

Red eyes widened. Hiei had never expected Kurama to be the one to pop the question, and certainly not in a car.

"If you wish to wait, we don't have to get married now, but I do not see the point of pretending as if I don't want to be with you forever."

"I'll marry you whenever you want, Kurama," Hiei answered. "You already know how I feel about you and being with you."

"I do. Still, the question is important."

"Which is why you asked it in a car."

"I had thought about doing something ridiculous with candles and rose petals," Kurama admitted. "Make no mistake, my love, I know how to be romantic. It just seemed like something we didn't need."

"Good call."

* * *

A/N: And there's another chapter down. I know the proposal was lacking in romance and mushiness, but this is Hiei and Kurama. They have never needed any of that for their love. This just felt more right to me. Anyway, I think I'm going to try to crank out 6 more chapters of this for a sold 35. Before anyone asks, yes, there will be a wedding/commitment ceremony thing. I've been planning that chapter since I started writing this story. As per Hiei's (and KyoHana's) request, the next chapter will show them going to meet the Hatanakas. Yes, there will be a confrontation. I don't know much about Kurama's stepfather, and I have nothing against him, but he's going to be kind of an asshole in this story. Someone has to be, after all. Oh, and don't think I've forgotten about the Hie/Kurama Yukina/Kuwabara double date. That's coming up as well. As always, thanks for the review, and let me know what you thought of this.


	30. If This Ain't Love

Chapter 30: If This Ain't Love, Then How Do We Get Out?

Hiei buttoned up the green shirt he had bought at the mall so many weeks ago. He and Kurama had been engaged for three weeks, and they still hadn't told anyone, but Kurama had something up his sleeve about that, Hiei could just tell.

Today was the day that the two of them were going to have dinner with Kurama's entire family. It was one of the rare times that Mr. Hatanaka was in town for longer than a week or two, so Kurama had called his mother and asked her to set everything up and to make sure that both her husband and Shuichi were going to be there. Shiori had promised to do just that, and the very next week she had called him with a date.

As Hiei got dressed, he watched Kurama brushing his hair. The crimson mass already glowed, so the shorter man knew that the incessant brushing was a nervous habit.

"It's going to be fine," Hiei said.

Kurama looked up, meeting his lover's eyes in the mirror. "I suppose."

"Where's all that confidence you're famous for?" Hiei demanded. "It's not like you to be this worried about someone's opinion."

"I just want them to like you. I want him to accept you."

"So what if he doesn't? Is that going to change anything?"

The redhead's green eyes hardened. "Of course not. Kazuya's opinion of me has never changed anything."

"Then there is no reason to be worried."

Kurama's lips quirked in a smile as he watched Hiei tuck in his shirt. "When did you become the logical one?"

"I've always been logical. I just don't feel the need to parade it like you do."

Kurama stuck his tongue out and turned around. He looked dashing in a long sleeved silk shirt of deep purple that clung to him in all the right places and a pair of black jeans. The gardener slipped his feet into his shoes and admired Hiei's outfit.

The little brunette looked good in the green shirt and black pants he had donned. His hair was in it's usual gravity defying style, but he still looked neat and respectable. Kurama sighed. "Well, let's go then. I told Mother we'd be there at seven and it's already almost six thirty."

"You'll speed the whole way there anyway," Hiei commented. "You develop a lead foot when you're nervous or upset."

"Just get in the car, Hiei."

* * *

Shiori Minamino Hatanaka bit her lip as she checked on the roast that she had in the oven. Her husband was sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop open, working as usual.

"You will put that thing away when Kurama and Hiei get here, won't you." It wasn't a question.

"Of course, dear," Kazuya replied.

The woman shook her head and looked at the clock. It was a quarter to seven, and if she knew her son, they would be arriving quite soon. She walked to the foot of the stairs. "Shuichi!" she called. "Get washed up and come down! Your brother and Hiei will be here soon."

Her second son was a tall young man of eighteen. He was in his last year of high school and was slated to enter college the next fall.

"Alright, Mom!" Shuichi called back.

Shiori walked back into the kitchen and gently closed Kazuya's laptop. She kissed him on the cheek when he turned to protest. "Your stepson is coming to visit," Shiori said softly. "Please try to be personable."

The man nodded and got up to put his computer back in his study.

Ten minutes later the sound of a car pulling into the driveway alerted Shiori to her son's arrival. "Shuichi, Kazuya!" she called again. "They're here." She didn't wait for a response before she went to the front door and flung it open. "Come in, come in," she said to her guests.

She enveloped Kurama in a hug which he returned. Without seeming to think about it, Shiori hugged Hiei as well. The swordsman stiffened, but then awkwardly brought his arms up around the woman.

Kurama chuckled at the slightly terrified look Hiei gave him once Shiori had turned around to lead them into the house. "She's not going to do that again is she?" the little brunette whispered.

"It's possible," the redhead whispered back. "I'd be on my toes if I were you."

They ended up in the kitchen where the rest of Kurama's family were waiting. Hiei had never seen the two males before, but it was pretty clear that neither of them were related to Kurama.

The elder of the two, Kurama's stepfather Hiei assumed, was at least in his late fifties. His black hair was shot through with gray and it was cut neatly. Brown eyes that were framed with hard lines peered at him from behind round glasses. The man was wearing a business suit even though it was a Saturday and he was at his own house.

Shuichi took after his father, but he looked to be much more friendly. His black hair was longer, brushing his shoulders in a straight fall. His eyes were brown as well, but they glinted with friendliness.

In order to alleviate the silence that had fallen awkwardly around them, Kurama made introductions. "Hiei, this is my stepfather, Kazuya Hatanaka, and my brother Shuichi. Kazuya, Shuichi, this is Hiei, my boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you," Shuichi said, shaking the shorter man's hand. "I thought Kurama here was destined to die alone."

"You and everyone else apparently," Hiei responded.

"Oh leave him alone," Shiori admonished.

"Tell me, Hiei," Kazuya remarked. "What is it that you do?"

"I work at a dojo," Hiei answered. "More specifically, I teach kids aged ten to thirteen how to use a katana."

"And do you find that to be a rewarding experience?"

Hiei shrugged. "I've been doing it for years now, so yeah. The kids like to learn the stuff, and I enjoy passing on the knowledge."

"It's run by a woman named Mukuro who was a victim of sexual violence when she was younger," Kurama explained. "She started the Three Kings Dojo to make sure that people who wanted to learn to defend themselves had a way to."

"That's incredibly noble work," Shiori said. "It's a wonderful thing you are doing, Hiei."

The swordsman blushed a little. "Thanks."

"Sit down everyone," the woman continued. "Dinner will be ready in just a minute."

They all took their seats around the table, and Kazuya turned to his stepson. "How is your little shop fairing?" he wanted to know.

"It fares well," Kurama replied. "We get steady business and remain one of the most popular places to purchase flowers from in the city."

"Have you given any thought to expanding?" Kazuya asked. "A chain perhaps? International recognition?"

Kurama shook his head. "I have no need for any of that. I'm content with what I have. The whole purpose of me opening The Wandering Rose was so that I could interact with the plants and the people who buy them. If I had more than one store, how would I do that?"

"You'd become the CEO and interact with them by being in control of the franchise. I have connections that I could set you up with."

"Thank you, Kazuya, but no," the redhead said firmly. "Things are fine as they are."

Brown eyes tightened as Kazuya grew irritated. "I just want to see you live up to your potential. You have a degree in botany and a brilliant mind. You could be doing so much more with your life."

"Yes, yes, Kazuya. You've been giving me this speech since I was sixteen years old. I think I've gotten the gist of it."

Shiori looked back and forth between her husband and her son. She hated when they got into this argument. "Kurama, darling, could you help me get dinner on the table?" she asked to help abate some of the tension.

"Of course, Mother."

Soon the meal that Mrs. Hatanaka had prepared was sitting in front of them. Everyone had loaded their plates up and were eating heartily.

"This is really good, Mrs. Hatanaka," Hiei said timidly. "I see where Kurama gets it from."

"Thank you, Hiei." Shiori replied warmly. "I'm glad that Kurama puts his lessons to use for you."

"I always thought he'd make a good house wife," Kazuya muttered under his breath.

"Kazuya!" Shiori snapped. "That is enough."

"It's alright, Mother," Kurama spoke up. "I didn't really expect anything else from him."

"Tell me what you see in this…_man,_" the business man continued. "This is what I mean by you wasting what was given to you. There are plenty of eligible young women out there who would no doubt love to start a family with you. And you choose _this_ life instead? Couldn't you have picked someone more affluent, at least? Or…taller?"

Kurama's green eyes began to fill with the ice that only gathered when he was very angry. "You will not insult Hiei," he said dangerously. "You may say what you wish to me; I long ago stopped listening. But you _will_ leave Hiei out of this."

Kazuya glared right back at him. "Perhaps this is just a phase," he remarked. "You're young yet."

"Dad," Shuichi murmured. "Chill out."

"Speak when you are spoken to, Shuichi."

The tension at the table grew and seemed in danger of exploding, when suddenly Kurama laughed. Hiei, who had been very carefully staying out of the whole thing, looked up in confusion. He met the redhead's eyes and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that they were gradually regaining their warmth. There was a question in those green depths, and it didn't take Hiei long at all to figure out what it was. He considered it for a moment, then nodded his agreement.

"Mother," Kurama said, turning to look at the woman. "Aside from introducing Hiei to the rest of the family, there was another reason for us coming here."

Shiori blinked. "What reason is that?"

"I wanted you to be the first to hear the news. Hiei and I are engaged."

His mother gasped. "Really?"

"Yes. I asked him to marry me a few weeks ago."

"Oh, Kurama!" Shiori was on her feet in a second, wrapping her son in her arms. "I am so happy for you!"

She turned and gave Hiei his second hug of the evening. "Congratulations," she gushed. "It's going to be so nice to have you in the family."

"Whose family?" the business man grumbled.

"_My _family, Kazuya, which if you'll remember, you were also welcomed into warmly. Now stop being so rude to my son and his fiancé. I had Kurama before I had you."

"Very well," Kazuya responded reluctantly.

"Is there a date yet?" Shiori wanted to know.

"Not yet," Kurama answered. "As I said, the proposal was a fairly recent thing."

"Well I am just so happy for you both. This is wonderful news, isn't it, Kazuya? Shuichi?"

"It's great," the younger Hatanaka chimed in. "Can I be in the wedding?"

Kurama smiled. "I don't see why not. Kazuya, your thoughts?"

"Marriage changes a person, you know," the elder man replied. "I am interested to see what this will do to you, though of course I wish only good things for you."

"Of course."

The rest of the dinner progressed with Hiei and Kurama answering Shiori's many questions about their engagement. Shuichi threw things in every once in a while, but Kazuya remained mostly silent. The evening wore on, until finally Kurama gave his mother a guilty smile.

"We should be heading home, Mother," he said. "We have an engagement tomorrow."

"Alright," Shiori said reluctantly. "You will come visit again soon, won't you?"

"Of course we will, Mother."

Goodbyes were said, and Hiei was hugged for the third time. Once they were in the car on their way home, Kurama burst out laughing at his fiancé's shell shocked expression. "My mother adores you," he remarked.

Hiei smiled a little. "She's very kind, your mother. Your step dad is an ass though."

"I did warn you. I'm glad you kept your temper."

"You seemed to have it under control."

"I've been dealing with Kazuya for years. His views on my decisions are nothing new to me."

"He talks like a bigot. I'm surprised your brother can remain so light hearted with him for a father."

"Shuichi is his own person. He knows who his father is, and he knows who _he _is. I have no fear that he will end up like Kazuya. Especially not with my mother's influence. She loves her husband, but realizes that he is not the most open minded of men."

"Is your mother really so pleased to have me in the family?"

"My mother is not the type to be disingenuous," Kurama told Hiei.

"I don't know that anyone has ever been that happy to have me around. No one who didn't already like me for whatever reason anyway."

"As you go through life, you'll find that people are more fond of you than you'd think, Hiei."

The little brunette snorted, then something occurred to him. "What engagement do we have tomorrow?"

"Didn't I mention that Yukina called about dinner yesterday?"

"No. You didn't."

Kurama shrugged. "Well she did. I told her we'd meet them at seven at that seafood place downtown. Is that alright?"

"Whatever. I did agree to it. Are we going to tell them we're getting married?"

"Let me handle that," Kurama responded.

"Fine. Less work for me," Hiei returned. He gave his fiancé a suspicious look as the redhead parked in front of their home.

* * *

A/N: Whew! Another one down. There are just five chapters left for this story, so if you have a request, it would be best to ask for it now. The last two chapters have already been planned out, so time is limited. Let me make a disclaimer about Kurama's stepfather. I know that we never really get to see anything about him in the anime, so there is nothing to suggest that he's as much of an asshole as I made him here. There is also nothing to suggest that he's not. Really, the man just wants what he thinks is best for his step son which I hope kind of comes across. Anyway, I'm on break next week so expect another chapter of this, an update of my Hiei/Kurama/Yusuke series, and a continuation of Mentoring. If you haven't read those last two, I recommend them highly. As always, thanks for the reviews (almost 200!) and let me know what you thought of this.


	31. With This Ring

Chapter 31: With This Ring

"It won't be that bad, Hiei." Kurama placed a slender hand on his fiancé's knee as the shorter man drove. "In fact, I am willing to bet that it will be quite pleasant."

"You never bet unless you're a hundred percent sure." Hiei replied.

"Well that should tell you something."

The two of them were on their way to meet Yukina and Kuwabara at dinner. Hiei had been fairly surly all day, making very clear his feelings on their outing. Kurama had of course remained cheerfully optimistic about the whole thing, offering the opinion that one of them had to stay in good mood to keep the balance.

Hiei was also aware that there was something Kurama wasn't telling him, which did nothing to lighten his mood.

"What can I do?" the redhead asked now.

"What?"

"What can I do to make this easier for you? I know that you are violently opposed to this whole thing, but the least I can do is try to make you comfortable."

Red eyes darted away from the road to search Kurama's face. A smirk lifted the corners of his mouth. "There's that thing we talked about the other day." he began.

Kurama rolled his eyes. He recalled that conversation perfectly. "Are you serious? _That's _what it's going to take to make you stop looking like you're being dragged to your own execution?"

Hiei shrugged. "Maybe."

"The things I do." Kurama muttered under his breath. He heaved a sigh and pulled his hair over one shoulder.

"Wait…you're going to do it?"

A defiant glare was his response. "When have I ever not done something you asked me to? Now shut up and pay attention to the road. I'll be damned if I'm going to die in a fiery car crash because of this." His words were sharp, but there was a playful gleam in those emerald eyes.

Kurama unbuckled his seat belt and slid closer to his lover. One sly hand made it's way to Hiei's lap and unbuttoned his pants. Already he could feel the heat from Hiei's crotch and the subtle hardening of his length. How someone so short could be so well endowed, Kurama would never know.

With a little more finagling, the redhead had the rapidly growing erection free from its confines and his hand wrapped around it. He grinned wickedly as Hiei gasped and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Without preamble, Kurama engulfed the head with his warm mouth.

It took most of Hiei's concentration to pay attention to the road. He very much wanted to look down and see the gardener in action. He loved the way Kurama would roll those big green eyes up at him and smirk around the penis in his mouth. It was one of the many things he loved about his pretty redhead.

On a rainy evening about a week ago, he and Hiei had been lounging in their bed. The redhead was reading a thick book as was customary, and Hiei was polishing his sword. Every few seconds, the shorter man would look over at his fiancé, blush, and look away.

"What is the matter with you?" Kurama demanded.

"You're wearing glasses." Hiei mumbled, eyes trained on his weapon.

"Yes…" Kurama was indeed wearing glasses. He had been suffering from headaches recently, so he'd dug out his glasses and perched them on his nose. Hiei had never seen him with the spectacles before, and he was having a strange reaction to them.

The lenses made his already ridiculously attractive redhead even hotter. Such things should not have been possible.

Kurama raised a scarlet brow. "Do you take issue with me wearing glasses?" he wanted to know.

"No." Hiei said quickly. "It's just…different."

A wicked smile curved across soft lips. "Good different or bad different?" He got no response to that, but judging from the color of Hiei's face, Kurama could guess. "Do you find me attractive in my glasses?" he asked, his voice husky.

That jolted Hiei from his embarrassment, and he narrowed his eyes at his fiancé. "Not really."

"Liar." Kurama all but sang. "You want to do things to me."

In a second, the sword was in it's sheath and Hiei was straddling the other man. "Always." he murmured. "Can I ask you something?"

Kurama allowed his hands to roam up Hiei's arms and over his chest. "Mhmm."

"What are your opinions on road head?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Road head. You know, sucking someone off in a car while they're driving." Hiei clarified.

"I can honestly say it's not something that has ever crossed my mind." Kurama replied. But now he was curious. "Where do _you_ stand on the topic?"

"I'm pro road head, of course."

"Of course."

Hiei had never in a million years imagined that he would have been able to convince the gardener to do such a thing, but now here they were.

Kurama was sucking faster and doing things with his tongue that were sinful. Suddenly Hiei erupted into his mouth with a hiss. The redhead swallowed like a pro, not spilling a drop.

In a matter of minutes he was back in his seat looking as if nothing had happened. "Satisfied?" he asked cheekily.

Hiei swallowed hard and nodded. How he loved this man.

* * *

Yukina fiddled with her napkin nervously. She had made sure that Kazuma got them to the restaurant early, but now all she was doing was fretting about the whole thing.

Her husband took the napkin from her and folded her hands into his own. "Calm down." he said. "It'll be fine."

"You'll be nice to Hiei won't you?" the woman asked. "He doesn't hate you, he's just…protective of me."

"It'll be fine." Kuwabara said again.

"I suppose."

Five minutes later, the two men arrived in the restaurant. Kurama waved the hostess away as he caught sight of Yukina and Kuwabara.

"Does Kurama look smug to you?" Yukina whispered to her husband.

Kuwabara shrugged. "He usually does. They probably fucked before they got here or something."

The pale haired woman frowned at that, but stood up to embrace her brother and Kurama when they made it to the table.

"I hope we didn't keep you waiting, Yukina." the gardener said.

"Oh not at all. We got here a little earlier than was needed." Yukina cocked her head at her brother who had yet to say anything. "Are you alright, Hiei?"

The little brunette blinked up at her. "Yeah." he said.

Kurama snickered. "You'll have to forgive Hiei. He's a little out of it at the moment. Shall we proceed with dinner?"

The Kuwabaras exchanged confused looks, but sat down and opened their menus. Their waiter came by a few minutes later and they gave him their drink orders along with their dinner choices. Once he had gone, Kurama turned to Kuwabara. "Hiei and I were talking about you a few weeks ago." he said.

"Oh yeah? What about me?" the orange haired man asked with trepidation.

"We were wondering when you plan to make Yukina a mother."

Hiei kicked Kurama under the table, but the redhead just smiled serenely.

Yukina blushed. "We've talked about it, of course. I think that we want to wait a little while though; we haven't been married for very long at all."

"Good." Hiei responded.

"What Hiei, don't want to be an uncle just yet?" Kuwabara teased.

"Not really." the shorter man answered.

"Leave him alone." Yukina scolded gently.

"The real question should be when are Urameshi and Keiko going to get married." Kuwabara remarked, changing the subject.

"I suppose they'll do it on their own time." Kurama answered. "I think they are quite happy with the way their relationship is progressing."

"Yeah, that girl is the best thing that ever happened to Urameshi."

"I thought you and Kurama were the best things that ever happened to him?" Yukina said with a smile.

Kurama laughed. "We are in a different way. There were certain things that Yusuke needed back then that neither Kuwabara nor myself could have given him."

"Not that you didn't want to, eh Kurama?" Kuwabara joked.

"That was a very long time ago."

"You know," Hiei spoke up. "I've heard a lot about this crush you used to have on the detective, but I've never gotten the full story. What's that about?" His red eyes gleamed with triumph.

"Oh Red was head over heels for Urameshi." Kuwabara chimed in. "I could see it from the moment I was introduced to him."

"I wasn't that bad."

"You were! Everything that came out Urameshi's mouth made you blush."

"What finally broke you of this crush?" Yukina wanted to know.

"I got to know Keiko." Kurama replied with a shrug. "She was to Yusuke everything I wanted to be."

"Then Maya popped up, and he didn't have time to pine after Urameshi because he was too busy running from her."

Their food arrived then, and the conversation stopped while they ate. Kurama noticed that Hiei looked more relaxed than he had when they'd gotten there. Good. For what he had planned, he needed the little brunette to be calm.

Once they had all finished eating, Kurama cleared his throat and raised his wine glass. "I know it's a little late for this, but I'd like to propose a toast. Nearly a year ago, I was not this happy. All I really had in my life was the Rose and a few good friends. Now though, everything is different, and I have a reason to look forward to going home at the end of the day. I am much better friends with Yukina now than I would have been ordinarily, and Kuwabara is happier than I have ever known him to be. So, in that spirit, a toast to changing times and happy relationships."

They all clinked glasses and drank, but Kurama wasn't finished. He slid out of his chair and went down on one knee next to Hiei.

Yukina gasped and her brother's eyes widened.

"I know we said that we didn't need any of this, but I am a bit of a romantic at heart. If, however, you would really rather I didn't do this here, I don't have to." Kurama said softly.

"Go ahead." Hiei grunted, his cheeks red.

"Thank you. Now, as I was saying, so much of my happiness is due to you, Hiei. I don't even want to think about where I would be now had you not walked into my shop that day. The way I feel when I am with you is something I didn't even know was possible, and I want to feel that way, and try to make you feel the same, for the rest of our lives. Marry me?"

From his coat pocket he produced a thin silver ring. Hiei rolled his eyes, but stuck his hand out and allowed the redhead to slide the ring onto his finger. "Now get up. People are staring."

Kurama laughed and kissed his fiancé soundly before sitting back down.

"Was that a yes?" Kuwabara asked in confusion.

"It was. You see we've been engaged for a few weeks now, but I wanted to do something a bit more official."

Yukina let out a sob and buried her face in her napkin. Hiei looked at her in alarm. "What? What is it?"

"I'm so happy for you!" she wailed. The woman launched herself across the table and hugged her brother and Kurama tightly.

"Urameshi's gonna be steamed that we found out first, you know." Kuwabara remarked.

Kurama grimaced. "You're right." he looked over at Hiei. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to do this all over again for Yusuke and Keiko."

A glare was his only response.

"I'll think of something to tell him." the redhead declared.

The rest of the evening passed quickly and soon the group was headed to their cars. Kurama and Yukina were walking ahead, chattering about the wedding and what season would be best to have it in. Hiei was walking a little behind Kuwabara lost in his own thoughts.

Suddenly the orange haired man was in front of him with a solemn look on his face. "I have something I want to say to you." he said.

Hiei raised an eyebrow.

"I wanted to say congratulations. Kurama's a good man and I think you're both really good for each other."

"Is that all?" Hiei asked.

"Well…Urameshi told me that you had lunch with him a while ago. He said that you guys might be friends. That true?"

"Perhaps. Your point?"

"I'd like it if we could try to be friends too, Hiei." Kuwabara said. "You're marrying one of my best friends, and _I'm_ married to your sister. There's no way we can avoid each other, so don't you think it might be easier if I didn't have to worry about you killing me?"

Hiei was quiet for a moment, then he started walking again.

"Hey, shrimp, the least you could do is answer me!" Kuwabara shouted.

"The fact that you're still alive after dating my sister should be answer enough." the shorter man tossed over his shoulder.

Kuwabara frowned, but realized that he was not going to make Hiei change overnight. With a shrug he headed over to where his wife was waiting for him.

* * *

A/N: Whew! One more down. There's not really much to say after this one, so I won't babble on about it. The chapter count is now down to four. I have one request already and plans for the last two chapters, but if there's something you absolutely want to see before this ends, let me know. As always, thanks for the reviews, and let me know what you thought of this.


	32. In Sickness

Chapter 32: In Sickness

Hiei wasn't exactly sure what it was that made him waked up so suddenly. He puzzled over it until the bed was rocked by what was presumably a sneeze from Kurama's side. Glancing over, he gathered pretty quickly that his fiancé was ill. All he could see was the mass of crimson hair that was poking up from the blankets. "Are you alive?" Hiei asked softly.

"Clearly," came the muffled reply. Hacking coughs rang out in the room for a moment, then, "Barely," Kurama amended.

"Do you need anything?" the shorter man wanted to know.

"To get up and get ready for work."

Hiei stared incredulously at the pile of blanket that was the man he loved. "You can't go to work," he said.

"I have to," Kurama wheezed.

"No you don't. You're the boss, Kurama," he stuck his hand under the blanket and felt the redhead's forehead. "And you're as hot as a fire demon."

"Hiei-"

"_And _you just missed the obvious opportunity to plug your 'hotness.' You're staying home."

Kurama sneezed again. "I'll just leave once you go to work."

"Then I guess I'm not going to work today either."

"Mukuro won't allow that."

Hiei snorted. "I'd like to see her stop me. If she fires me, then Shigure would be her second."

The bed shook, and Hiei couldn't decide if it was because Kurama was shivering in sickness, or shuddering at the thought of Shigure.

"But there are things to be done at the shop," the gardener protested weakly.

"Kuronue can sell flowers. You may as well stop arguing; I'm not letting you leave this house." He waited for further descent, but the even breathing from that side of the bed indicated that Kurama had fallen asleep.

Hiei sighed. He had won that battle, but now he actually had to care for the man. Having never been taken care of in sickness himself, he had no idea what he was supposed to be doing.

The little brunette pulled the covers back from Kurama's face and smoothed the tangled red hair. Kurama nuzzled into that hand in his sleep. That steeled Hiei's resolve. He was going to do this thing and do it well. But first things first.

He reached for his cell phone and called Mukuro.

"_Three Kings Dojo," _the woman's voice answered.

"Mukuro, I'm not coming in today."

"_Hiei? The hell you aren't." _

"I'm not. It's an emergency."

Mukuro snorted. _"Right. Unless you're dying, I don't want to hear it."_

"Kurama's sick, and I'm not leaving him here alone. So either fire me or find someone to cover my class today."

There was a silence over the line, then a rattling sigh. _"Fine. But you are only getting today, you got it?" _

"Yeah, yeah." Hiei snapped his phone shut and got out of bed to get dressed. He thought about calling Yukina for guidance, she surely had more knowledge in this area, but something made him want to do this himself. He would one day be married to this man, and he couldn't always be calling his sister for help.

Kurama stirred, and Hiei went to him. "Hey, how're you feeling?" he whispered.

"I've definitely felt better," the redhead rasped. "You're still here."

"I told you I would be. I'm not afraid of Mukuro."

Kurama chuckled. "My hero. Well if you're dead set on taking care of me then could I trouble you for a cup of tea?"

Hiei looked wary. "I'll see what I can do." Kurama had an impressive collection of teas and was picky about how they were brewed. "Preference?"

"The chamomile please?" Kurama requested. "You can just pop a mug in the microwave for three minutes."

The little brunette knew better than to ask about milk or sugar. "I'll be right back," he said, kissing the redhead's cheek before disappearing down the stairs.

Kurama reached for his phone and dialed the Wandering Rose.

"_Wandering Rose, Kuronue speaking." _

"Hello, Kuronue."

"_Oh hey, boss. You running late?" _

Kurama coughed. "Actually I'm nit coming in today. I'm sick."

There was a moment of silence while Kuronue digested that. _"You're never sick," _he said finally.

"I get sick like everyone else."

"_Well you never call in sick. I can't see you playing hooky either. This is strange." _

"Kuronue, my friend, I am sick. Can you keep everything in order by yourself?"

"_Red, I've been working here for years. I got it. Feel better, okay?" _

"I'll do my best."

He hung up and sighed. This was not a comfortable position for the largely independent gardener to be in. Even when he was a child, he had never been one to let his mother fawn over him when he was sick. Now Hiei felt like he had to do something to care for him. Kurama didn't want to ruin the experience for the shorter man, but he also felt the need to tell him that he didn't need to be babied.

Kurama piled pillows behind him and sat up, grabbing his laptop from the night stand. He was already typing an email to his stepbrother when Hiei returned to the room with a perfectly balanced tray of tea.

"Success!" Kurama said with a smile.

"Yeah, that happens sometimes." Hiei deadpanned. "Why are you sitting up?"

"Because I am not an invalid, darling. My fingers still work."

"Fine." the swordsman replied. "But you will rest today."

Kurama swallowed another sigh. "Yes, sir." He took a sip of the tea. "Tell me a story?"

The little brunette clambered onto the bed and rolled his eyes. "What am I, your mother?"

"No, but you were the one who insisted on playing caretaker today. You should at least be invested in the role." He made his emerald eyes large and pleading and put an adorable pout on his face. "Please?"

Hiei snorted but scooted closer to his love and began to think. "I don't know any stories," he said finally.

"So make one up. It could be about anything really. Even real people."

"Okay." Hiei said slowly. "I met Mukuro when I was twenty-one. I didn't have a job, and I was depressed and angry all the time because the Karasu thing was haunting me. Yukina was worried of course, so I took to walking the streets during the afternoons so I could at least honestly tell her that I had left the house. One day I started having flashbacks about Karasu while I was walking and ended up not paying attention to where I was going. When I looked up I was in front of the dojo."

"Kismet," Kurama remarked.

"What?"

"Kismet. It's like destiny or fate."

"You just can't talk like a regular person, can you?" Hiei wanted to know.

Kurama just glared at him and motioned for him to keep talking.

"Anyway, I was in front of this dojo and I realized that I hadn't touched my sword since I had killed Karasu. That just felt wrong so I went in to see about using a practice room or something at some point. Mukuro was sparring with Toya and Shigure and kicking both of their asses. I had never seen anyone move that fast or with so much confidence."

"And you approached her about a job?"

"She approached me. She said it was clear that I was used to handling a sword and that there was a look in my eyes that spoke to my skill. Her exact words were 'I could use a few more grunts around here, fight me and we'll see what you've got.' I didn't win the fight, but I obviously impressed her enough. She hired me right then and there."

Kurama smiled and leaned over to kiss his fiancé on the cheek. "I am truly lucky to be engaged to someone so talented." he said.

Hiei averted his eyes. "Am I bad at this?" he asked suddenly

"Telling stories? No."

"I mean this whole taking care of another person thing."

Kurama chuckled. "Hiei, my love, we are more well suited for each other than I think we realized. You are the perfect level of caring to make me happy. I have never been one to need coddling from another person."

"But your mother-"

"Was a notorious coddler, and I hated it. Think about my stepfather. He tries to coddle me in his own way, making suggestions for how he thinks my life would be better lived for my own good, of course. But I have never wanted any of that."

"I've always wondered what living like that was like." Hiei admitted. "It always seemed better than how I was living."

"I'm not sure if that's true." Kurama replied. "I cannot be sure since I did not live as you did, but the impressive amount of self reliance that you have cultivated seems to have done you mostly good."

Hiei shrugged. "I guess."

"I _know_." The redhead coughed and then sighed. "I hate being sick. It reminds me of being helpless."

"And I know how much you despise that."

"Unless it's at your hands of course."

"Naturally."

* * *

A/N: *Sigh* I know this was short and very very late, but I have an excuse. My computer's hard drive crashed two weeks ago and it was beyond the abilities of anyone I know to repair, thus I had to buy a new computer. That made me sad because I loved my old computer and it had two years worth of work on it. Keep your fingers crossed that it can be revived at some point. Depressing shit aside, I think this chapter served it's purpose. It's dedicated to Pheonix09. She requested a chapter where Kurama is sick and Hiei takes care of him. This is my take on that. As always, thanks for the reviews, and let me know what you thought of this.


	33. Testing the Waters

Chapter 33: Testing the Waters

A couple of quick months passed, as they are wont to do, and while there was a new level to their love, Kurama and Hiei found themselves surprisingly unsurprised by how little had changed between them.

Hiei enjoyed watching how the warm months made his fiancé flourish. Once the flowers came out in full force, the redhead came alive. The two of them spent more time outside during the evenings, eating dinner in the garden and lying in the grass just talking. Sometimes Yukina and Kuwabara would join them when Hiei was feeling social, which still wasn't very often, but had definitely increased in frequency. The little brunette never knew that life could be like this. For the first time in his life he felt like he could say he was completely content with his life.

* * *

The couple was walking down the street hand in hand, heading for one of their lunches with Yusuke. The detective had sounded excited when Kurama talked to him on the phone the night before, so Hiei was moderately apprehensive about what might be about to happen.

The two of them sat down at a booth next to each other and waited for their friend to arrive.

"He's late," Hiei remarked with a yawn.

Kurama shrugged, his eyes glued to the landscaping outside. "He is sometimes." He turned his gaze to his lover and smiled. "How do you feel about gladioluses?" he asked.

"Am I supposed to know what those are?"

"Not really," the redhead replied. "But it is still essentially _your_ yard, so I wanted to make sure you didn't have a problem with it."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "It's _your_ yard, Kurama. Trust me, I have nothing to do with it."

"You are most generous, love. Ah, here comes Yusuke."

The dark haired man strode over to them and plopped down in the seat. "Sometimes I hate my job," he complained. "You know what I'm saying?"

Kurama and Hiei exchanged glances. "No," they said in unison.

"Well fuck you both then," Yusuke shot back. "Anyway, what's up?"

"Were you not the one who called this meeting?" Hiei asked with a half hearted glare. Though he was fairly adept at hiding it, he was pretty fond of the detective.

"Oh yeah. I guess I was. Right! I wanted to run something by you guys. How much time can you take off work? An entire weekend?"

Kurama thought about it. "I suppose I could close the Rose on a Friday and Saturday if I needed to," he said.

"Hiei?"

"I can move my day off to a Friday, and I always have Saturdays and Sundays off," the little brunette answered. "Why?"

"I got a call from Genkai the other day. Remember all that land the old bat has up in the mountains?"

Kurama nodded. "She has several hundred acres near the shore, does she not?"

"Yeah. She invited us up there for a weekend," Yusuke said. "I thought it could be fun."

"That does sound enjoyable," the gardener agreed. "Who all did she invite?"

"You, me, and Kuwabara, our attachments included, of course. So what do you think?"

Green eyes shifted to Hiei's face. The swordsman looked troubled, and Kurama knew that this was not the time to bring it up. "We'll get back to you. Which weekend were you thinking of going?"

"Either next weekend or the one after."

"We'll let you know sometime this week then."

The subject of their conversation shifted then, and the lunch ended pleasantly. Yusuke dashed off back to the police station, while Kurama and Hiei took their time walking to the Wandering Rose.

It was a mark of how much he had changed, that Hiei spoke up first. "So you want to go on this trip, don't you?"

"I think it would be a nice little getaway," Kurama replied. "I assume you're opposed."

"It isn't for the reasons that you think," Hiei informed him. "I have no issue with going on a trip with your friends and Yukina."

"Then what's the problem?"

Hiei lowered his eyes and mumbled something.

"You're going to have to speak up, darling," Kurama remarked with a wicked grin.

"I said I can't swim," the shorter man shot back with a glare.

"Ah. Well there are more things to do at Genkai's compound than swim, I'm certain."

"There probably are, but if it gets out to Yusuke or Kuwabara, I can't imagine that they would leave me alone long enough for me to find any of those other things to do."

"Hm. That _is_ a good point. We don't have to go, Hiei," Kurama said.

"Yeah…" There was a longing in Hiei's eyes that Kurama didn't usually see. It struck him that his fiancé actually wanted to go on the trip and was frustrated with himself for having a weakness that would prevent it.

"Or…" the redhead began. "I could teach you to swim beforehand. If that is something you would be interested in."

"Where?"

"The community pool?"

"Because I definitely want a hundred screaming children watching me suck at swimming," Hiei muttered under his breath.

Kurama rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't take you there in the middle of the day, Hiei. Just leave everything to me."

Hiei wondered when hearing that phrase from his fiancé would stop making him apprehensive.

* * *

"You're insane," the little brunette hissed as he and Kurama walked around the community pool building in the dark. It was nearly midnight and the pool had been closed for nearly four hours.

"You are not the first to think so," Kurama replied. "Ah!" Apparently he had found what he was looking for.

"Oh look, a locked door," Hiei deadpanned. "This solves all of our problems."

Kurama's eyes glowed in the moonlight as he slipped a hand into his pocket and came out with a pouch of metal strips. He studied the lock on the door for a moment, then ran his fingers over the metal almost lovingly. He selected one of the strips from the pouch and eyed it.

"Are you seriously about to pick that lock?" Hiei asked incredulously.

"I would if you'd kindly be quiet," Kurama returned. "This is a skill I haven't practiced in a while, and I would rather not set off any alarms if I can help it." He slid the pick into the lock and gave it a small turn and then a shimmy. He nodded expertly, then slid that pick back into the pouch and selected another. Kurama repeated this task twice more before putting the pouch back in his pocket and pushing the door open. A smile lit his face and he gestured for Hiei to go in first.

"How did you do that?" the shorter man demanded.

"It's just something I picked up in college," Kurama answered.

"Whip fighting and lock picking." Hiei shook his head. "Best college ever."

"Quite." Kurama led the way to the pool. The crystal blue waters were illuminated by the lights along the sides of the insides of the pool. Kurama gave his lover a flirty look and began stripping out of his clothes. When he was down to his boxers, he let his hands play along the waistband before hooking his thumbs behind the elastic and sliding them down. Stepping around the pile of discarded clothes, Kurama stretched, then dove into the water in a smooth arc. He resurfaced seconds later, shaking water out of his eyes and smoothing his wet hair back.

"Children swim in there, and you're naked," Hiei said flatly.

"There aren't any children here now, are there?" Kurama returned. He opened his arms and motioned for Hiei to come to him. "You won't learn anything up there, my love. Into the water with you."

Fear leapt into the ruby depths of Hiei's eyes, but he swallowed it down and began to take off his clothes slowly. He trusted Kurama implicitly, but his fear of water had been fairly crippling since he was a child.

Once he was naked, he sat on the edge of the shallow end of the pool and watched Kurama tread water. "How are you doing that?"

"Humans are buoyant by nature," the redhead told him. "We float." He opened his arms once again.

Hiei eyed the water warily, but he had never met a challenge that he allowed to beat him, so he took a calming breath and slid into the water and Kurama's arms.

It wasn't as bad as he had been expecting. The water was a nice temperature, and he could feel the corded strength in Kurama's arms as they were twined around him.

"Do you trust me?" Kurama whispered into his ear, giving the shell of it a quick flick with his tongue.

"Yes."

"Then this will work."

For the next two hours Kurama worked with Hiei until he could float unaided and had managed to master the dog paddle and a clumsy backstroke. It helped that he had a natural grace when it came to movement. The water only enhanced that.

Once Kurama was satisfied that his fiancé would not drown in the ocean, he climbed out of the pool and grabbed a towel from the stack on the lifeguard chair. He toweled his hair dry and then dried his body off.

Hiei hauled himself out of the water and began doing the same thing. He was a little in awe. The last time he had been in water that deep, was when his fear of it had originated. One of the children at the foster home who had been intimidated by the smaller child had shoved him off of a small cliff and into a river. Hiei had very nearly drowned and since then had had no desire to learn to swim. But now he could. Kind of.

Kurama was watching his future husband work through all of this with a concerned look on his face. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I am," Hiei responded slowly. "I can swim."

"You can," Kurama laughed.

"I can swim."

"So you said."

"_I _can _swim_."

"You're no Michael Phelps, but you'll do. You're proficient enough that Yusuke and Kuwabara will leave you alone. If you'd like we can continue the lessons. With your muscular skill, you'll pick up more strokes very quickly."

* * *

The next weekend saw them piling into the SUV that Yusuke had rented for the trip with Keiko, Kuwabara, and Yukina.

Hiei's sister was excited for the excursion. Even though her childhood had been slightly better than her twin's, trips to the shore had never been a standard thing. She was bouncing happily in the back seat that she was sharing with Kuwabara. "Isn't this thrilling, Hiei?" she asked her brother.

He and Kurama were in the middle row. The redhead had already broken out his glasses and a book and was buried in it. Hiei gave his sister a small smile. "It is I suppose."

"It's going to be great," Yusuke said as he started the vehicle.

The drive went smoothly, at least until Kuwabara felt the need to start singing along to the radio. That put a slight damper of the ride, especially when Hiei started slinging death threats.

They made it to Genkai's without further incident. The old woman was sitting on her porch waiting for them.

"Well it's about time. I could have told you not to let one of the dimwits drive, Kurama."

The redhead smiled gracefully. "Yusuke did fine, Master Genkai. I don't think you've officially met my fiancé. Genkai, this is Hiei. Hiei, Master Genkai."

The woman's eyebrows jumped up at the word "fiancé" and she peered at the little brunette. "I remember you from Kuwabara and Yukina's wedding. You're the brother."

Hiei nodded, fighting the urge to fidget under the elderly woman's scrutiny.

"You'll do," Genkai said finally. "Let's not just stand out here like morons," she said and led them into the house.

Genkai had dinner on the table and they all sat down to eat. There was much talking and laughter and a fair amount of stories about Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama as teenagers.

"Anyone up for watching the sunset?" Keiko asked after a while. Genkai declined, saying she had seen it more times than she could count, so the six of them walked down to the shore and watched the sun sink over the water.

Hiei's hand found it's way into Kurama's as they looked out over the land. Life, he decided, was not so bad.

* * *

A/N: Holy Hera! I cannot believe that there are only two chapters left of this story. I'm sorry if there was something you wanted to see that I didn't get to, but the last two chapters of this have been planned for a while. Once Little Wonders is done, I plan to focus on my Yusuke, Hiei, Kurama series and then maybe try something else in this fandom. Perhaps an LW sequel? Who knows? As always, thanks for the reviews, and let me know what you thought of this.


	34. Let's Get This Party Started

Chapter 34: Let's Get This Party Started

"Can we set a date?"

Kurama looked up from the vegetables he had been chopping. "What?"

"A date. Can we set one?"

"For the wedding?"

Hiei glared at his fiancé. "Of course for the wedding, Kurama. Are you being intentionally obtuse?"

"Never. But you must admit that your comment was rather unexpected."

"Fine. I'll give you that. Will you answer the question?"

"Of course we can set a date. It has to be decided eventually." Kurama sat his knife down and turned to face Hiei. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"I was thinking about November sometime."

"Of this year?"

"If possible. It will mark one year since my life changed forever."

Kurama smiled, remembering the scowling little thing that had walked into his flower shop. "Fall weddings can be beautiful," he said thoughtfully. "There are an abundance of fall flowers that would look lovely in a wedding setting."

"Glad to see your priorities are straight," Hiei muttered.

"Why so soon?" Kurama wanted to know.

Hiei shrugged. "What's the point of waiting? We're as good as married already."

"Fair point."

"We don't have to do it so quickly if you aren't ready," the little brunette added.

"I want nothing more than to be with you for the rest of my life, Hiei. We could get married tomorrow and I would be fine."

Hiei blushed and averted his eyes. "I assume you want a big wedding."

"Not necessarily. I would like for my friends and family to be there, of course, but it doesn't have to be extremely extravagant."

"Where should we have it? I'm not going in a church."

Kurama agreed. "We could do an early November afternoon outdoor wedding. It wouldn't be hard to find some where to do something like that."

"That could work," Hiei mused. "We're definitely going to need help getting all of this together."

"Well Yukina has offered her assistance, and I am sure my mother wants to be involved."

"Are Yusuke and Kuwabara going to want to do something stupid?" Hiei wanted to know.

"More than likely. Probably something involving strippers and alcohol if I am not much mistaken."

Hiei narrowed his eyes. "Do we have to go through that?"

"It's tradition, but we can probably control it some extent."

"Good."

* * *

There was a lot of planning to be done. Three months stood between them and their chosen date.

Kuwabara and Kurama were headed to the tailor to look at tuxes one day in early August.

"You know what I was thinking the other day?" Kuwabara asked as he parked the car.

Kurama smiled at him fondly. "I wouldn't presume to."

"We've grown up," the orange haired man said. "I'm married; you're on the way. Even Urameshi's got a job and a stable relationship. We aren't kids anymore."

"No we aren't. I'm alright with that though. I have nothing to complain about in my adult life," Kurama remarked. They walked into the shop and found the tailor.

"How may I help you, sirs?" he asked.

"I'm getting married in three months," Kurama explained. "So I need tuxedos for myself and my three groomsmen."

"Very good, sir. May I ask what color your bride has chosen for her ladies?"

Kurama's lips twitched, but he took the error in stride. "We've decided on a black and white wedding," he said.

"Ah, a classical wedding. Those colors will work well with your hair, sir. I assume you'll be wanting a black tuxedo then."

"Actually may I look at what you have in white?"

The tailor faltered for a moment. "Er…of course, sir. However, if your bride is to be wearing white…"

"My _husband-_to-be is going to be wearing black. He's adamant about that one detail."

The tailor blanched and muttered for them to follow him while Kurama and Kuwabara tried to stifle their laughter.

"So that technically means you're the bride in this case, doesn't it?" Kuwabara whispered.

Kurama shot him a dirty look. "Hiei has already indicated as much. Apparently since I have longer hair, I'm more 'girly'."

"Well that is a fair point."

* * *

Hiei walked up the hill to where his mother's grave was with a solemn look on his face. He and Kurama had been back a few times since he had first introduced the redhead to his mother, but he had been avoiding the place as of late.

Somehow the thought that his mother wouldn't be there to see him take one of the biggest leaps of his life was painful.

As he neared the grave, the soft lilt of a familiar voice stopped him. "Yukina," he whispered.

As if she heard him, the woman's head snapped up and she turned eyes that were so much like his to him. "Hiei." She smiled, and the icy grip of fear that held Hiei's heart melted. "Join us?"

The little brunette walked closer, folding himself into a sitting position next to his sister. "So here we are," he murmured.

"Yes. See, Mother," Yukina continued. "I told you one day we'd both be together with you. And now Hiei can tell you the good news himself." She looked at her twin expectantly.

Hiei swallowed. "Well, Mother, Kurama's been here, and I think that you would have liked him if you'd been given the chance. We've been together for less than a year, but he asked me to marry him, and I said yes."

The twins spoke to their mother for a few more minutes, then rose and walked back to their cars. "The wedding is getting close now." Yukina remarked.

Hiei nodded. "Kurama and Kuwabara went to look for tuxes today."

"Have you decided who is going to be the bride?"

"Kurama. Obviously."

Yukina grinned. "I don't know; you'd look lovely in white, Hiei."

"Funny." Hiei shrugged. "Really it doesn't matter. We're rewriting the entire ceremony to fit our circumstances. Speaking of, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Yes?"

"Kurama's having Yusuke and your oaf as his groomsmen, and I was thinking about asking Mukuro to be one of mine. Would you be the other?"

Yukina giggled. "You want me to be a groomsman?"

"You know what I mean."

"I'd be honored, Hiei."

"Good."

When he looked back on it, Hiei would be relieved at how easily his sister had agreed. He'd approached Mukuro a few days later and the harpy had laughed at him for a while until she realized he was serious.

"Wow," she said. "You really want me there?"

"You're one of the first people I met when I moved here," Hiei shrugged. "If you want to be there, then be there."

"I wouldn't miss it."

* * *

Kurama knocked on Yusuke's door at the end of September, and Keiko opening it with a smile on her face.

"Hello, Kurama," she greeted.

"Hey, Keiko. Is Yusuke here?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he's in the back playing video games. You want me to get him?"

Kurama knew what that would entail. "No, I'll do it," he said. "I wanted to speak with him about something."

"Oh, are you going to ask him to be your best man?" Keiko asked. "He's been wondering."

"I figured he would be. There just has been a lot going on lately, and I'll admit I thought that he would assume that I would choose him."

Keiko walked him to the back of their apartment where the sounds of Yusuke swearing at his game could be heard. "Yusuke!" the woman shouted. "Watch your mouth; we have company!"

"I'll take it from here, Keiko dear," Kurama said and walked into the room. "I assume you're not winning." he said.

"Yeah, that's fair to say. What's up?"

Kurama sat down on the couch beside him. "Well I wanted to talk to you about the wedding."

Yusuke pressed pause and tried to look nonchalant. "Oh yeah? What about?"

"As you know I am in need of a best man for this wedding, since Hiei has asked his sister to be his maid of honor."

"I thought maybe you'd asked Kuwabara," the detective muttered.

"He is one of my best friends," Kurama allowed. "But you were my first friend. Of course I want it to be you, Yusuke."

A wide grin spread out over the detective's face. "That's a relief, Kurama. For a while I thought maybe Hiei had a problem with me or something and wasn't going to let you choose me."

Kurama laughed. "And you think he would prefer Kuwabara? Hiei tolerates his sister's husband purely because Yukina loves him. You wouldn't know it, but Hiei is actually quite fond of you, Yusuke. He's just shy about affection."

"Yeah, I got that from him. He definitely loves you though."

"Yes. In that I am lucky."

* * *

A/N: I know, I know. The ending have been a little sappy lately, and this was not a terribly exciting or long chapter. Basically I just wanted to show some wedding prep and moments between family and friends. There is one more chapter left, and it will consist of, you guessed it, the wedding! Ideas about a sequel have been floating around in my head, and if that is something you all would like to see, let me know. As always, thanks for the reviews, and let me know what you thought of this.


	35. Do You Take This Man?

Chapter 35: Do You Take This Man?

"Kazuya, you are not missing your stepson's wedding!" Shiori said for the third time that week. "You're going to get up and get dressed, and we are going!"

"I don't want-"

"I don't care."

Shuichi chuckled as he passed by on his way to the bathroom. "C'mon, Dad, it'll be a good time."

"No one asked you," Kazuya shot back. Still he flung his closet open and selected a suit to wear.

Satisfied that her wishes were being carried out, Shiori smiled and walked down the stairs to make breakfast.

On the other side of town at Yusuke's home, Kurama was pacing the guest room nervously. He and Hiei had bought (read: been forced) into the old 'not seeing each other before the wedding' superstition, so Kurama had gone to spend the night with his best friend.

He'd gone to bed fine, but had woken up feeling anxious. It wasn't that he was afraid of marrying Hiei. Nothing of the sort really. This was the biggest thing he had ever done in his life, and it was something he couldn't control. Though he had gotten better at it, not being in control was still hard for him.

Yusuke, who had the uncanny ability to know when one of his friends was unhappy, knocked on the door. "You decent?" he called.

Kurama rolled his eyes, but opened the door as he passed by it while still pacing. "Good morning, Yusuke."

The detective raised an eyebrow. "Is this you freaking out?" he wanted to know.

"I do _not_ freak out."

"Right." Yusuke came into the room and shut the door behind him. "So what are you doing?"

"Working off nervous energy."

"What are you worried about, Kurama?"

The redhead sighed. "What if I am not good at being a spouse? What if I am too reluctant to relinquish control and it drives Hiei away?"

Yusuke shook his head. "Okay, who are you, and what have you done with the real Kurama?"

"Yusuke-"

The dark haired man talked over him. "The Kurama I know is more confident in himself than this. Insufferably so. The Kurama I know is so in love with that sword slinging midget that he can't see straight, so he knows that everything is going to work out fine in this marriage."

"Is love enough?" Kurama had to ask.

"Your mother is still married to that asshole Kazuya because she loves him."

"Ah. Valid point."

Yusuke slung an arm around his friend's shoulder. "It's all going to be fine, Kurama. Trust me."

"Very well." Kurama checked the time. "I really should start getting ready. We need to be at the hotel in a couple of hours."

"Good idea."

* * *

Hiei sighed as his sister fussed over him. Yukina had arrived at his house early in the morning to help her brother prepare for the biggest day of his life so far. After he had showered, she attacked his hair with a brush trying to make it lie down.

"It doesn't do anything else," the little brunette muttered.

Yukina shook her head. "I suppose you're just going to have to go like this then," she said.

"That was the plan. I think Kurama would prefer me to look like myself at this thing."

"I'm so happy for you, Hiei," the woman gushed. "I know you're going to be happy together."

"We already are happy together," Hiei said. "This is just a formality."

"Yes, I know. Still, Mother would be so proud of you, if she were alive today."

"You think so?"

"Mhmm. Now keep getting ready! Do you want to be late for your own wedding?"

"Kurama would never let me hear the end of that," Hiei grumbled as he crossed to his closet.

"Come downstairs when you're dressed."

Yukina left, and Hiei pulled out the tux he had bought for the occasion. It was jet black with a true white shirt underneath. His tie was blood red, as red as the hair of the man he loved. A white rose with petals edged in red was in the breast pocket of the tux, and cuff links adorned with ruby gems winked at his wrists.

Hiei looked at himself in the mirror and froze. He hadn't noticed how much he had changed, but this was a testament to it. Gone was the grimy little boy who ran wild in the streets. Gone too was the angry teenager who had been treated so badly. It had taken over two decades, but finally, Hiei had come into his own.

He put on the ridiculously shiny shoes that went with his outfit, and then headed down the stairs.

Rui was sitting on the couch in the living room, and when she looked up and saw Hiei, her eyes filled with tears.

"You are a man," the older women whispered. "I never thought I would see this day."

Hiei shrugged. "But here it is."

"To think that I get to see both of Hina's children grown and married before my time is done. Her heart would be bursting with joy if she were here."

A smile tugged at Hiei's mouth at that. "Thank you," he said sincerely.

"We should get ready to head over to the hotel," Yukina remarked with a glance at the clock.

The little brunette was raring to go.

* * *

The couple had decided to have their wedding in the botanical gardens located on the property of a local hotel. Kurama was friends with the owner, having supplied, and occasionally tended to, some of the garden's fare.

The redhead himself walked through the main doors of the hotel and smiled as he saw who was leaning against the front desk getting checked in.

"Punctual as always, Yomi," he called.

The tall man turned around and his eyes widened. "Why, Kurama, you're a vision. But isn't it bad luck for the bride to be tromping around the place in her wedding whites?"

Green eyes narrowed into a glare. "That joke will get old very fast," Kurama muttered. He shook his head and changed the subject. "How was your flight?"

"Pleasant," Yomi replied. "I decided to take a later one than originally planned since you and Hiei refused to have bachelor parties."

Kurama shrugged. "We saw no need for them."

"They are tradition."

"You should know by now that I care nothing for things like that. Neither does Hiei, which means there was no reason to do it."

"Fair enough. I will admit, that I was surprised to receive the invitation to this affair," Yomi commented.

"Were you not expecting to be invited?"

"Well there is that of course, but I also never pegged you as one to marry. You've always been too independent to be the marrying type."

Kurama sighed. "People change, Yomi, and to be fair…you've never really known me." The redhead turned around before the other man could reply, and smiled as he saw Kazuya's car pulling into the parking lot.

Shiori climbed out of the car first and her eyes locked with those of her son's through the glass doors of the hotel. A smile spread across the woman's face, and she walked quickly into the lobby.

"My boy," she whispered, her eyes full of tears. "Oh, Kurama."

"Hello, Mother." Kurama opened his arms and hugged the woman who had raised him. "Thank you, for being here."

"Where else would I be?" Shiori wiped her eyes and stepped back. "I am so proud of you, dear. You're getting married in less than an hour. Are you ready?"

Kurama took a deep breath. "More than ready." And he was.

* * *

Shiori and Rui entered the garden first once the ceremony had begun. They each held a rose, Shiori, a blood red one, Rui, a dyed black one. As one, they placed the blooms into the small, thin vase on the altar at the front, then took their seats.

The music changed slightly, and Hiei entered next, flanked by Yukina and Mukuro, both dressed in black and white, and carrying bouquets of white and red roses.

Once they were in place, the music changed again, deliberately not to "Here Comes the Bride," and Kurama came into the garden with Yusuke and Kuwabara behind him.

Hiei's eyes were all for the man he was about to marry. Once again, the flare of certainty rose up in him. Kurama's eyes showed the same assuredness once he faced Hiei. They linked hands and turned to Genkai who was performing their wedding.

"I'm getting too old for this," the old woman groused. "But we are gathered her today to witness the joining of Kurama and Hiei. In the time that they have known each other, their love and understanding of each other have grown and matured as they have decided to live together as husband and er…husband. If any one can show just cause why these two should not be joined, speak up or shut up."

The garden remained silent, so Genkai continued.

"Kurama and Hiei have opened their hearts to each other, which is never an easy task, but they have done so valiantly. This marriage is being entered into reverently with the recognition that a true union has been discovered. For what greater joy is there for two human souls than to join together to strengthen each other in all their endeavors, to support each other in all sorrow, and to share with each other all gladness? Love is stronger than your conflicts, bigger than life's changes, always inviting you to learn, to blossom, to expand. It is to this love that you will always return."

Kurama squeezed Hiei's hand tightly, trying to convey the magnitude of his happiness in that moment.

"These two have written their own vows, so I'll let them say those now." The old woman turned to Hiei and nodded.

The little brunette swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "My life has never been something I could look back on and smile about. The only person I've ever been able to count on is my sister. Until you. You came into my life and changed all my ideas of what I could be, what I could feel. I don't think I can ever explain how grateful I am to you for that. All of that aside, I love you, and I plan to do so for the rest of my life." Hiei shrugged. "That's it."

Kurama smiled. "Hiei, I never dreamed that I would meet someone who would fit me so completely. I believe that on some level I had expected to spend my life alone; you have rectified that. Ever since you walked through the door of the Rose, I've felt happier and more alive than ever. You say that you are grateful for me, but words cannot express the depth of my gratitude for you as well. I know that you've had more hardship than I can ever fathom, but I feel like, in a way, you have saved me. I love you so much, Hiei, as I have never loved anyone. I want you by my side for as long as you are willing to be there."

"Forever," Hiei whispered.

"Alright then," Genkai broke in. "If you'll give me the rings, Urameshi, we can wrap this thing up."

Yusuke handed the rings to the woman, who looked at the couple. "May these rings be blessed as a symbol of this affectionate unity. Your two lives are being joined today in one unbroken circle. Wherever you go, may you always return to one another in your togetherness. May you find in one another the love for which all men yearn. May you grow in understanding and compassion. May the home which you establish together be such a place of sanctuary that all who are here today and others through the years will find there true friends." She passed the rings to the two in front of her. "When you place the ring on each other's fingers, repeat the words: With this ring, I make you mine."

Hiei took the slim silver band and slid it onto Kurama's finger. "With this ring, I make you mine," he murmured.

Kurama did the same, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. "With this ring, I make you mine."

"All commitments have been made; all promises should be kept. Remember this as you travel into the world together. Remember your vows to each other. Let nothing tear you asunder. Give to one another new experiences of joy. Challenge one another so that you may grow. May the love you hold for each other, now sealed in marriage, continue to mature with the passing years. May you never take each other for granted, but always experience the wonder of your union. Be slow to anger, quick to forgive, leaving no tracks of resentment behind each day. May your love consistof not only in gazing into each other's eyes, but in looking outward in the same direction. May your life together be a source of strength and inspiration to yourselves, your families, your friends, and to all whose lives you touch. So, I now pronounce you two married. Kiss."

The two men grinned at each other and sealed their union with a deep lasting kiss.

As their guests cheered around them, Kurama and Hiei had eyes only for each other.

"Well, we did it," the red head murmured.

"We did." Hiei looked a little stunned. "We're married."

"That we are."

"I meant what I said, you know, I'll be by your side forever."

Kurama smiled. "I would expect nothing less, my flying shadow. I for one am interested to see how the rest of our lives will play out."

"Hn."

Kurama threw his head back and laughed. "Don't get monosyllabic on me now, my husband. We have a garden full of people to entertain."

"Shouldn't they be entertaining us?" Hiei wanted to know.

"They'll be wanting us to dance and take pictures and cut cake. We'll be busy until we leave."

"Then we'll go home?"

Kurama nodded. "We shall. We'll go home together and begin the rest of our lives."

* * *

A/N: IT'S DONE! Wow, 35 chapters later and we have a firmly married couple. Thanks so much to everyone who supported me throughout the writing of this story. It means so much that as I write this Little Wonders has 196 reviews. I never expected this story to be so popular. There have been some requests for a sequel, and if I decide to write one it will be after I finish working on my OT3 series with the boys and Yusuke. As always, thanks for the support, and please let me know what you thought of this for the last time.


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